BEIJING, June 10 (Xinhua) -- China's marine economy continued to make progress in high-quality development in 2025, with a key development index rising 2.2 percent year on year to 128.8, according to the 2026 China Ocean Economic Development Index released Wednesday by the Ministry of Natural Resources.

An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 11, 2024 shows a mariculture zone in Xiapu County, southeast China's Fujian Province. (File photo: Xinhua)

Compiled by the National Marine Data and Information Service, the index uses 2015 as the base year and 100 as the base value. It provides a quantitative assessment of the country's marine economy across areas including development scale and performance, structural optimization and upgrading, resource conservation and utilization, foreign economic activity and trade, and public well-being.

China's gross ocean product reached 11 trillion yuan (about 1.6 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2025, up 5.5 percent from the previous year. The sub-index for development scale and performance rose 1.7 percent to 128.1, while the number of marine economic entities in key monitored industries increased 6.2 percent, pointing to stronger market vitality.

The index showed that the marine industrial structure continued to improve. The value added of emerging marine industries grew 7.3 percent, while innovation advanced in areas such as the direct electrolysis of natural seawater to co-produce hydrogen and extract magnesium, offshore wind power, and marine artificial intelligence models.

Marine resource development and utilization also improved. New approvals for sea and island use covered 372,000 hectares in 2025, involving investment of more than 921.8 billion yuan. Offshore crude oil and natural gas output rose 3.4 percent and 17 percent, respectively, while offshore wind power generation increased 3.3 percent.

Despite external pressures, marine-related foreign trade maintained steady growth. Seaborne imports and exports of goods increased 1.7 percent year on year, accounting for 61.5 percent of China's total goods trade, while foreign trade cargo throughput at coastal ports rose 4.7 percent.

The index also indicated sustained improvements in the marine ecological environment and public well-being. The share of nearshore waters with good water quality reached 84.9 percent, up 1.2 percentage points, while marine tourism, including island tours, cruises and water sports, remained a bright spot.