Beyond Seafood: What Else Does Guangdong Seek from the Sea?

On June 6, 2025, the latest

Guangdong Marine Economy Development Reportwas released.

It revealeda milestone:

In 2024, Guangdong's gross ocean product officially surpassed ¥2 trillion,

Markingthe 30thconsecutive year the province has led the nation.

As the saying goes,

"Mountains and seas sustain those who live by them."

With the longest coastline of any Chinese province,

Guangdong holds natural advantages in marine development.

When Zhuhai, Shantou, and Shenzhen became China's first coastal Special Economic Zones in 1980

Reform-driven momentum began fuelling Guangdong'smarine industry.

Since 1995,

Guangdong has held a firm lead in the country's marine economy,

And it has stayed there for 30 straight years.

During this time,

Not only has the size of Guangdong's marine economy scaled relentlessly,

Its industrial structure has also continued to evolve.

The tertiary sector’s share,

Surgedfrom 37% in 2000,

To66% in 2024, reflecting Guangdong’s pivot from volume to value.

In addition,

This evolution revitalizes,

Traditionalsectors,

Whilenurturing emerging ones.

When people think ofmarine industries,

They often think first of fish farming.

Aquaculture once relied on inefficient,

Storm-vulnerablecoastal cages.

Today, deep-water cages,

Often submergedmore than 20 meters deep,

Boasttens to hundreds of times,

More capacity than older models.

As of May 2024,

Guangdong led China with

Over 5,000 gravity-based deep-water cages,

Ranking firstin both

Number and capacity.

Thanks to this leap inaquaculture,

Guangdong's marine farming output reached 3.77 million tons in 2024,

Ayear-on-year growth of 5.47%,

Its highest growth rate in a decade.

Guangdong's marine economy,

Extendsfar beyond its "traditional industries."

It’s also expanding into

High-potential new sectors,

Including marine electronics and information, offshore wind power, marine biomedicine, and ocean engineering equipment.

These are now pivotal to Guangdong's development strategy.

In 2024, the added value of Guangdong's emerging marine industries reached 41.1 billionCNY,

An8% nominal increase from the previous year.

Their contribution to the marine economy continues to strengthen,

Risingto 5.6% of the total marine industry value-added.

Among these, offshore wind power

Has seen remarkable progress:

FromGuangdong's first project in 2016,

Installedcapacity

Soaredto 12 GW within just eight years,

Securingthe top national rank.

Looking ahead,

Guangdong's "blue blueprint" is still expanding.

The province has designated a 44,000 sq km marine development zone,

Which covers 68% of the province-managed sea territory.

It holds

Vast potential for future growth.

Three decades of leadership,

Is not just Guangdong's legacy,

Buta launchpad for its next chapter.

Backed by policy support,

Thisazure land charges toward,

A"blue future" abundant in possibilities,

Atfull throttle.