GuangZhou Executive Vice Mayor Wu Yimin presided over a municipal government executive conference on the afternoon of July 25. At the conference, officials deliberated and, in principle, adopted The 12th Five-Year Plan for the Development of Guangzhou’s Marine Economy. Officials stated that Guangzhou will strengthen its strategic “great ocean” awareness, “mega port” expansion awareness, and “great land” protection awareness, and set out to build Nansha, Lianhuashan and Huangpu areas, in order to elevate the city’s marine economy to a new height.

Last year, Guangzhou’s major marine industries registered a total added value of more than RMB 125 billion, accounting for 12.4% of the city’s GDP, and a number of marine industrial clusters have emerged. The Plan calls for the establishment of the marine sector as a pillar of Guangzhou’s economy. By 2015, the marine sector will have an annual output value of more than 250 billion and account for about 14% of the city’s GDP. The Plan also outlines measures to protect the marine ecological environment, curb the amount of pollutants discharged into the sea, and prohibit enterprises from directly discharging pollutants into the sea. Moreover, Guangzhou will join hands with neighboring cities to strengthen the administration of waters and prevent and mitigate marine pollution.