Qingdao hosts 2026 Ocean Cooperation and Development Forum

The third 2026 Ocean Cooperation and Development Forum opened on September 17 in the West Coast New Area of Qingdao. Hosted by the Shandong Provincial People's Government and the Ministry of Natural Resources, the event drew over 700 guests from international organizations, government agencies, and research institutions.

Key discussions focused on the blue economy and sustainable marine development. Representatives from Malaysia highlighted the nation's priority on the blue economy, while the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) emphasized the importance of investing in nature to support a regenerative blue economy. The forum also saw the release of the 'World Ocean Economy Development Brief 2026' and the 'China Ocean Development Index Report 2026'.

During a parallel forum, China's first 'Ocean Token Factory' was launched in Qingdao. Developed with participation from China Mobile Shandong, this intelligent element supply platform provides standardized access to marine data, algorithms, and computing power. The platform features a computing power pool exceeding 800P and integrates over 20 specialized marine large models to support digital transformation in the maritime industry.