China's marine economy outpaced overall growth in the first half of 2026, with gross ocean product rising 5.1 percent year-on-year and Chinese companies securing more than 80 percent of new offshore engineering orders worldwide by value, underscoring the sector's resilience and growing importance as an engine of economic growth.

The country's marine economy achieved steady growth during the period, with gross ocean product reaching 5.5 trillion yuan ($815 billion), up 5.1 percent year-on-year and outpacing the country's GDP growth of 4.7 percent for the same period, state broadcaster CCTV News reported on Monday, citing preliminary estimates from the Ministry of Natural Resources.

China has also retained its global lead across all three major shipbuilding indicators - new orders, completions and order books - in the first half of the year.

As the country's traditional shipbuilding sector accelerates its industry-wide shift toward greener and smarter production, a new generation of low-carbon vessels is moving from the drawing board to actual delivery. At the Mawei shipyard in Lianjiang, Fuzhou, East China's Fujian Province, an intelligent liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel roll-on/roll-off vessel capable of carrying 4,200 vehicles is nearing delivery, according to the CCTV News.

The vessel features an integrated smart energy system combining solar power, energy storage and shaft-generated electricity. It can also connect to shore power while berthed, enabling low-carbon operation in voyage, the report said.

Beyond traditional shipbuilding, China has strengthened policy support and intensified technological research in emerging fields such as offshore engineering equipment and marine biomedicine, accelerating the expansion of new growth drivers.

The value of new offshore engineering orders secured by Chinese companies surged 121.9 percent year-on-year in the first six months, giving China more than 80 percent of the global market size, official data showed.

According to CCTV News, China has issued its first dedicated guideline for the marine biomedicine sector, while four innovative marine drugs have entered Phase I clinical trials.

In other marine technology fields, a China-led international standard for seawater desalination was recently released, while technologies such as hydrogen production from seawater and wave-energy utilization reached advanced international levels.

Breakthroughs in deep-sea technology have emerged as a core engine of innovation-driven growth of the marine economy. At the Laoshan Laboratory in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province, the Wenhai 6000H deep-sea heavy-duty remotely operated vehicle is undergoing tests of its robotic arm as final preparations are made for its next ocean research expedition.

Earlier this year, the submersible conducted a scientific survey at the Kunlun hydrothermal vent field, reaching a maximum depth of 6,523 meters.

And, the government's financial support for the marine sector continued to expand. In the first half, 12 marine-related companies completed initial public offerings on the country's stock market, raising a combined 13.34 billion yuan. Blue finance is increasingly channeling targeted support across the entire industrial chain, providing sustained momentum for the high-quality development of China's marine economy, the report said.

Despite mounting external uncertainties, Chinese economy grew 4.7 percent year-on-year to 69.6 trillion yuan in the first half of the year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, with the shift from old to new growth drivers emerging as one of the economy's most distinctive features.