China-PEMSEA Sustainable Coastal Management Center Launched

Qingdao, PR China – The China-PEMSEA Sustainable Coastal Management Cooperation Center was established in the First Institute of Oceanography (FIO) of the State Oceanic Administration (SOA) in Qingdao, Shandong Province of PR China last 9 December 2014. Mr. Chen Lianzeng, Vice Administrator of the SOA of China launched the Center after the agreement was signed by Mr. Stephen Adrian Ross, Executive Director of PEMSEA, and Dr. Zhang Haiwen, Director General of International Cooperation of State Oceanic Administration of China.
"Establishing China-PEMSEA Sustainable Coastal Management Cooperation Center (CPC) represents a landmark cooperation initiative between China and PEMSEA. It is a pioneering effort of both parties to sustain SDS-SEA implementation in China by strengthening the institutional capacity in a systematic and innovative manner," remarked by Mr. Ross during the opening ceremony.
"The establishment of the CPC will further develop China-PEMSEA cooperation in a more coordinated manner. Through this pilot initiative, China hopes to contribute to marine economic development and win-win cooperation in the East Asian Seas region," said Mr. Chen Lianzeng, Vice Administrator of SOA.
Mr. Chen Lianzeng, Mr. Wang Xiaofang, Vice Governor of Qingdao Municipal Government and Mr. Pan Shijian, Secretary General of PEMSEA Network of Local Governments for Sustainable Coastal Development (PNLG) joined others to unveil the CPC. Mr. Chen, Mr. Ross and other invited guests also ceremonially planted a camellia tree, the Tree of Qingdao, in the middle of FIO courtyard to celebrate the monumental establishment of the CPC.
Based on the agreement, the CPC will provide technical services for Chinese local governments for implementation of the SDS-SEA, conduct trainings and certification of ICM systems, and develop international cooperation projects to strengthen partnerships and enhanced cooperation in SDS-SEA implementation between China and Partner Countries in the EAS region through PEMSEA.
The event was participated in by more than 120 representatives from research institutes and centers affiliated with SOA, 11 coastal provinces and municipalities and 22 priority and replication sites of the newly launched SDS-SEA project in China. Delegates from Ocean University of China, Xiamen University, Zhejiang University, Ocean colleges of Zhejiang Province, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Conservation International (CI), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and other organizations also attended the event.
The launching ceremony was followed by an inception workshop in China of the UNDP/GEF Project on Scaling up Implementation of the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA). For the first time in its 20-year history, PEMSEA will be directly executing this project, meaning that PEMSEA has now been recognized as an international organization with full competence in project development and delivery and financial management.