NDRC: Will Accelerate Development of Blue Finance and Dynamically Update Marine Industry Investment and Financing Catalogue

The National Development and Reform Commission held a press conference on the "Striving for the 15th Five-Year Plan" series to introduce efforts to foster and strengthen new growth drivers. Ma Weichen, Deputy Director of the Department of Regional Coordinated Development at the NDRC, said that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, support for marine industry development will be increased. Government investment funds will be coordinated to support a number of major foundational and long-term projects, and project needs for sea areas, land, and islands will be scientifically and reasonably ensured. Market-based allocation of marine resource assets will be promoted, the stratified and three-dimensional use of sea areas will be actively advanced, and sea area and island protection and development will be pursued in a categorized manner. For example, the management system for island development and protection will be improved; islands will be scientifically classified by type, with differentiated requirements clarified, taking into account their functional positioning and comparative advantages, to promote high-level protection and high-quality development of islands in a coordinated way. The country will also accelerate the development of blue finance, dynamically update the marine industry investment and financing catalogue, encourage social capital to participate in the marine economy, and speed up the formation of a diversified investment structure. (Securities Times)