China's maritime economy expands by 7.5 pct in recent five years

China's largest producer of offshore oil and gas CNOOC reports its first deepwater gasfield discovery below the South China Sea. [File Photo: Xinhua]

The gross production value of China's maritime industry grew by 7.5 percent annually on average in the past five years, accounting for nearly 10 percent of the country's GDP, the State Oceanic Administration (SOA) announced Sunday.

The maritime economy generated 7.8 trillion yuan (1.22 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2017, said SOA director Wang Hong at a national maritime meeting.

China aims to increase the gross production value of its maritime industry to 10 trillion yuan by 2020 and have it account for around 15 percent of the country's GDP by 2035, according to Wang.

Among major progress made last year, the SOA, for the first time, dispatched inspectors to 11 coastal provinces, municipalities and regions for reclamation projects.

The SOA concluded a nationwide survey of land-based sources of marine pollution, identifying a total of 9,600 such sources.

A platform for maritime management in the Nansha Islands was also set up, and forecasts on the marine environment of three reefs including Yongshu, Meiji and Zhubi began to be released.

China made progress in maritime research expeditions, including those made by icebreaker Xuelong and deep-sea manned submersible Jiaolong, according to SOA.