The aerial view of China's Huangyan Dao Photo: Courtesy of South China Institute of Environmental Sciences under China Ministry of Ecology and Environment

"Today, I brought a small item for my friends from the press," Guo Fang, vice minister of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, said as she displayed a scarf at a press conference where a white paper titled Marine Eco-Environmental Protection in China was issued. She explained that the scarf was actually made from three discarded plastic bottles collected during a public beach cleanup in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province.

This scarf, like a tiny messenger, not only vividly demonstrates the integration of a circular economy and lifestyle aesthetics but also conveys China's determination in protecting the marine ecological environment.

The white paper released on Thursday presents a full picture of China's ideas, actions and achievements in marine eco-environmental protection. 

According to experts, several highlights in the white paper are particularly worth international attention. First, China's development of a legal system for marine eco-environmental protection provides a model for global ocean governance. Second, China's specific measures and achievements in delineating marine ecological protection red lines, biodiversity conservation and pollutant discharge control present valuable experience. Third, China's technological innovation and application in marine ecological environment protection offer new ideas and methods for global marine environment protection, promoting technological cooperation in this field.

Chinese President Xi Jinping once emphasized, "We should cherish the ocean as we treat our lives." Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, China has made a series of landmark achievements in marine ecological environment protection. These achievements not only improved the quality of China's marine eco-environment but also injected blue impetus into the construction of Chinese modernization featuring harmony between human and nature. This is also in line with the promotion of a global community of shared future.

The white paper is not only a systematic summary of China's past successful experience in pursuing marine eco-environmental protection, but also a future plan of the country's related work, which is of great significance for enhancing the marine eco-environmental protection level and promoting sustainable marine development. Through practical actions, China practices the concept of a marine community with a shared future, sharing experiences and achievements with other countries and regions, contributing Chinese wisdom and solutions to the construction of a clean and beautiful ocean, and demonstrating China's responsibility as a major country.

As global climate change and environmental issues become increasingly severe, marine ecological environment protection has become a focal point of global concern. As a responsible major country, China has always fulfilled its responsibilities, committed to marine ecological environment protection and restoration. However, some countries, without any solid evidence, have slandered China for damaging the marine ecological environment.

Certain countries' attacks on China's marine ecological protection are merely geopolitical tactics to tarnish the nation's image. China is a staunch promoter and active participant in marine eco-environmental protection. The achievements in this area and the continuous improvement of the marine eco-environmental governance system presented in the white paper are powerful rebuttals to any unfounded accusations.

China will continue to apply the experiences covered in this white paper to the protection of the ocean, including the South China Sea. It's crucial to strengthen international cooperation, focus on low-sensitivity marine eco-environmental protection and promote cooperation among countries and regions surrounding the South China Sea to jointly address eco-environmental challenges and establish a transnational protection mechanism. Certain countries should also abandon selfish interests and stop confusing right and wrong on the ecological issues of the South China Sea and dumping marine and political garbage.

The ocean belongs to all of humanity and plays an irreplaceable role in maintaining sustainable development for human society. In the face of increasingly severe challenges such as climate change and global ocean governance difficulties, the international community should cooperate, steadfastly abide by international maritime law with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea at its core, and integrate the concept of a marine community with a shared future into marine protection. The white paper, as a comprehensive summary of China's marine protection practices, will provide valuable experience and wisdom for global ocean governance, guiding the international community in jointly safeguarding the marine eco-environment.