Themed “New Engine of Blue Development for the Maritime Community with a Shared Future”, the opening ceremony of the 2023 World Ocean Week in Xiamen (WOW) and 2023 Xiamen International Ocean Forum was officially unveiled in Xiamen, East China’s Fujian province on November 9.

Government officials and representatives from the Ministry of Natural Resources of the People's Republic of China, Fujian Provincial People's Government, Xiamen Municipal People's Government, the Ministry of Environment Cambodia and the Solomon Islands Ministry of Environment attended the ceremony and delivered opening remarks.

The opening ceremony saw the release of the “2023 China Ocean Development Index ”, the “Capacity Index of Sustainable Coastal Development for Countries Along the Maritime Silk Road 2023”, and the “Blue Citizen Initiative”.

The 2023 China Ocean Development Index evaluates China's ocean development from 2016 to 2022,covering economic development, society and livelihood, scientific and technological innovation, ecological environment, resource utilization, opening up and comprehensive management.

The Capacity Index of Sustainable Coastal Development for Countries Along the Maritime Silk Road 2023 assesses the sustainable coastal development capacity of countries along the Maritime Silk Road.

The Blue Citizen Initiative aims to strengthen policy guidance on innovation and support the growth and development of blue citizens through diverse plans, projects, and activities.

Meanwhile, the Digital Deep-sea Typical Habitats Programme and the 14th National Ocean Knowledge Competition were also launched.

At the 2023 Xiamen International Ocean Forum, Peter Thomson, the ambassador of UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Ocean delivered a keynote speech titled "UN Sustainable Development Goals for the Ocean: Global Processes, Challenges and Actions" .

It is worth mentioning that Xiamen shared its experience in building the Xiamen Marine High-tech Industrial Park, providing an example for sustainable development of ocean economy. 

Jointly hosted by the Ministry of Natural Resources of the People’s Republic of China, Xiamen Municipal People’s Government, Xiamen University, UNDP China and the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA), the 2023 WOW will consist of three parts: ocean forums, ocean exhibitions, and ocean carnival activities, with more than 40 online and offline activities.

Since 2005, the World Ocean Week has been held in the city of Xiamen for 17 times, and has attracted over 2 million visitors and participants, including around 1,000 government officials and experts from nearly 130 countries and regions and representatives from about 20 international organizations.