BEIJING, 29th October, 2026 (WAM) -- China's marine economy remained stable in the first three quarters of 2026, with growth increasingly driven by innovation and higher-quality development, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources on Wednesday.
The marine economy grew 4.9 percent year-on-year in the first nine months of 2026, outpacing overall economic growth by 0.3 percentage points, according to China Central Television (CCTV).
Preliminary figures showed that the country's gross marine product reached 8.5 trillion yuan (US$1.28 trillion) during the period, contributing 0.4 percentage points to national economic growth.
China has also stepped up efforts to improve the allocation and management of marine resources, including the use of sea areas at different depths.
"Support for projects requiring the use of sea areas and islands has steadily improved. Nationwide, approvals were granted for an additional 219,000 hectares of sea areas and islands, covering projects with more than 670 billion yuan in investment. This has helped meet the needs of industries such as fisheries, manufacturing, transport and tourism," said Meng Qinglei, Deputy Director of the Marine Strategic Planning and Economics Department with the Ministry of Natural Resources.