China's marine economy defies the trend and surges upward: 5.8% growth in the first half of the year, with science and technology driving the blue rise

Facing a complex global economic situation, China’s marine economy has demonstrated remarkable resilience. The latest official data shows that in the first half of 2025, China’s marine gross domestic product exceeded 5.1 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.8%. This growth rate not only exceeds the average performance of major global marine economies but also signifies a significant step forward in China’s strategy to build a “maritime powerhouse.”

Dual-Track Industrial Development: Traditional Upgrades and Emerging Breakthroughs

China’s vast marine economy is driven by the synergistic development of traditional and emerging industries. The shipbuilding industry is undergoing a renaissance in the era of intelligentization: the volume of completed ocean-going vessels increased by 4.7%, and technologies such as digital inspection and painting robots have significantly improved efficiency. Meanwhile, the marine tourism market has experienced explosive growth, with added value surging by 8.0% year-on-year. The cruise industry has emerged as a standout performer—port passenger throughput and cruise ship calls increased by 40.1% and 33.7% year-on-year, respectively. During the May Day holiday, Tianjin Port saw over 400 visa-free transit passengers in a single day, setting a new record since the resumption of operations.

Emerging marine industries are also showing vigorous growth with breakthroughs across multiple sectors. China continues to lead the global market in offshore engineering equipment construction. According to Clarkson data, new orders, delivered orders, and outstanding order values accounted for 64.6%, 43.3%, and 62.6% of the international market share, respectively, in the first half of the year. Innovative vessel types such as the 150,000-ton “Guoxin 1 No. 2-1” aquaculture workboat and the “Wanquan Lingding” vessel were delivered in succession, showcasing the significant advancement in engineering equipment technology. Breakthroughs are also being made in cutting-edge scientific fields: the “Haixing Large Model” is empowering marine drug research, and new hydrogel technology is opening up efficient pathways for solar-powered seawater desalination.

Strengthening the foundation of marine resources: enhancing energy, food, and spatial security

China is systematically enhancing its capacity to supply marine resources. In the first half of the year, the area of newly added marine and island use reached 167,000 hectares (a year-on-year increase of 25.2%), supporting the implementation of investment projects worth over 500 billion yuan. In terms of energy development, large-scale oil and gas projects such as Kenli 10-2 and Wenchang 16-2 are progressing steadily, while the Liu Hua 4-1 and “Deep Sea No. 1” Phase II projects have been put into operation, driving a 2.3% increase in marine crude oil production and a 16.9% increase in natural gas production. The expansion of offshore clean energy has been rapid—wind power generation increased by 2.2%, with new grid-connected capacity surging by 199.4%. The Yangjiang HVDC transmission project and the Rudong offshore photovoltaic project have become key infrastructure initiatives.

“Blue Granary” construction ensures food security: marine aquatic product production increased by 4.8%, with aquaculture production growing by 5.6%. Innovative models such as the Wenzhou “Sound Wave Netless Marine Pasture” and the Yantai “Jinchang No. 1” intelligent net cage are driving the digital and intelligent transformation of the fishing industry. In the seawater desalination sector, the Penglai 100,000-ton project has come online, and domestically developed TFN membrane technology has been successfully applied in large-scale desalination plants, further enhancing water resource security capabilities.

Innovation and Foreign Trade: Internal Momentum and External Resilience

Marine-related enterprises demonstrated strong confidence. Nearly 90% of enterprises held optimistic or neutral expectations for the second half of the year, with over 70% expecting profits to remain stable or increase. Research and development investments continued to increase—57.5% of enterprises increased their R&D budgets, and 58.4% increased their R&D personnel. Industry-academia-research collaboration and digital transformation have become the main drivers of innovation.

Deep-sea technology has achieved a historic breakthrough. The manta ray-inspired robot and the “Jiaolong” submersible completed the world’s first “rigid-flexible collaboration” operation in the cold seep area of the South China Sea, revolutionizing traditional deep-sea exploration methods. The commissioning of the second phase of the “Deep Sea No. 1” project marks the full completion of China’s largest offshore gas field, while the launch of the “Qinghai Techigh” underwater production system lays the foundation for an independent deep-water equipment supply chain. The Hainan National Deep Sea Test Site and the Qingdao “Marine Science and Technology Online Marketplace” have established dual platforms for the conversion of innovative achievements.

Foreign trade has demonstrated resilience amid adverse conditions. The total value of maritime imports and exports increased by 1.1%, with the growth rate improving compared to the first quarter. Exports of high-end vessels and wind power equipment surged by 20.0% and 13.7%, respectively, becoming new pillars of overseas trade. The construction of smart green ports is accelerating—there are now 23 automated container terminals and 29 dry bulk terminals nationwide, with large-scale application of 5G-enabled unmanned container trucks. After the Meishan Terminal in the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port began operations, it reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 24,000 tons, and the proportion of clean equipment at 11 international hub ports exceeded 60%. Ports such as Tangshan Port, Yancheng Port, and Jiaxing Port have intensively launched new direct shipping routes to Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean, with the international maritime transport network continuing to expand.

Analysts point out that the “stable and positive” trend of China’s marine economy stems from three synergistic factors: precise macro policy support, deep digital technology empowerment, and accelerated green transformation. As the central government deepens its deployment to promote high-quality development of the marine economy, the sustained synergy between science and technology, industry, and market vitality is expected to open up broader avenues for China’s—and even the global—blue economy.

This ancient eastern sea is leveraging innovation and strategic resolve to write a new chapter in the deep blue legend of the 21st century. Its development trajectory not only concerns the economic well-being of a nation but will also reshape the future landscape of global marine industries and resource utilization.