On September 17, the 2026 Global Ocean Development Forum opened in the West Coast New Area of Qingdao. 680 political figures from home and abroad and government representatives, officials from the UN and foreign marine management institutions, people in charge of international ocean-related organizations and overseas foreign business chambers or associations, famous experts and scholars on marine affairs, and diplomatic envoys of coastal states in China gathered in Qingdao to exchange opinions on how to advance the cause of marine cooperation.

Themed “Let’s Embrace Our Future—Developing a Sustainable Marine Economy for a Thriving Ocean”, the event consisted of an opening ceremony and a main forum, a dialogue on marine civilizations, four parallel forums and eight supporting activities. The main forum witnessed the release of many achievements such as the 2026 Brief Report on the Development of World Marine Economy and the 2026 Report on China’s Marine Development Index. Furthermore, the Global Initiative for Ocean Decade Marine Public Welfare Action was unveiled, which prioritizes cooperation among cities, ecological conservation and blue economy, and calls for joint efforts of stakeholders across the globe.

The Global Ocean Development Forum has been held for three consecutive sessions. With a focus on developing a sustainable marine economy, this year’s session was intended to enable countries and regions at different stages of development to have a platform to share marine opportunities and jointly shoulder the responsibility for governance.  (Li Xunxiang)

On September 17, the 2026 Global Ocean Development Forum opened in Qingdao. By Han Xing