The 2026 Ocean Cooperation and Development Forum will be held in Qingdao in September
The Ocean Cooperation and Development Forum focuses on its opening in Qingdao, releasing authoritative achievements to promote the growth of the marine economy Four parallel forums will facilitate project implementation, offering an early look at new opportunities in Shandong's ocean governance and industries
On September 7, Shandong Vice Governor Li Xiaolong said that the 2026 Marine Cooperation and Development Forum will be held from September 16 to 18 in Qingdao West Coast New Area, under the theme “From Blue to the Future — Developing a Sustainable Marine Economy and Building a Beautiful and Abundant Ocean Together.” The forum is cohosted by the People’s Government of Shandong Province and the Ministry of Natural Resources, and has become an important platform for promoting marine cooperation and exchanges, marine economic development, and global ocean governance.
This year’s forum will set up four parallel forums around topics such as the marine industry, marine science and technology, deepsea development, and marine governance, and will release achievements such as the 2026 China Marine Development Index and the World Marine Economy Development Report 2026. The organizers said the forum will also arrange cooperation matchmaking activities to help bring a number of projects and cooperation intentions to fruition.
Shandong officials introduced that the province’s marine GDP exceeded 1.1 trillion yuan in 2025, and that the marine economy continued to grow in the first half of 2026. Relevant departments also said that in the future, efforts will be made to strengthen marine science and technology innovation, deepsea development, and the layout of emerging marine industries, further enhancing Shandong’s participation in global ocean governance and cooperation across marine industry chains.