The 2014 World Ocean Week in Xiamen, Fujian province, will open on Nov 7 and last for one week. The annual event, which was initiated in 2005, has been an international spotlight in marine economy trade and cooperation.

The 2014 World Ocean Week in Xiamen, themed “Maritime Silk Road and Blue Economy Cooperation”, will be a prudent and pragmatic event with more marine trade promotions and cooperation talks, according to Zhou Lumin, deputy director of Xiamen’s Municipal Bureau of Ocean and Fisheries.

The event consists of an international ocean forum, ocean exhibitions and trade talks, and ocean cultural activities.

The forum will focus on the development of the “maritime silk road”, which is mainly concerned with the international connection and cooperation among countries and regions along the “maritime silk road”. Many officials of ocean departments from “maritime silk road” countries, including Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh and Bahrain, are set to attend the forum.

The ocean exhibitions and trade talks will follow the demands of the marine economy development. The ocean week will add a marine scientific and technological achievement forum , in addition to the annual Xiamen International Boat Show and Xiamen International Fishing Aquarium Exhibition. The scientific and technological forum will invite more enterprises and try to find a new way to integrate governmental guidance and market operations.

The ocean cultural activities will also help participants get closer to “Beautiful Xiamen”, and will include an ocean knowledge competition for students, a marine science open day, boat racing, a series of “Blue Coast Defense” activities, and island experience tours.

Marine experts and officials from home and overseas will join the ocean week, including Su Jilan, an academician from the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Dr. Robert H. Byrne, a professor of the University of South Florida, and representatives from the China branch of the United Nations Development Programme. 

(From China Daily, 2014-11-10)