Report on the first general assembly of the 21st century maritime cooperation committee

Jointly Promote Maritime Cooperation to Build Blue Partnership

Founding members of the 21st-Century Maritime Cooperation posed with Mayor of Fuzhou and the Vice President of CPAFFC.

FUZHOU, 17 May 2018, hosted by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and the Fuzhou Municipal People’s Government, and supported by UCLG ASPAC and Silk Road Think Tank Association, the 1st General Assembly of 21st-Century Maritime Cooperation was successfully convened. In total, around 110 representatives of 30 members across five continents participated.

Dr. Bernadia Irawati Tjandradewi, Secretary General of UCLG ASPAC, congratulated Fuzhou, the leading city of the Committee. “Good Maritime Cooperation at local level is a key to ensure the success of Belt and Road Initiative. It will benefit people all over the region and show that indeed, Asia-Pacific is a powerhouse.” Regarding the 1st General assembly, Bernadia highlighted that this was the first concrete step made to walk side by side in taking the next steps.

Mr. Wang Ning Deputy Secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee and Secretary of the CPC Fuzhou Municipal Committee, made a speech and

pointed out, surrounding the concept of a community with a shared future for humankind and taking an active part in the national B&R initiative, the 1st General Assembly aims to establish a maritime cooperation platform based in Asia-Pacific region and open to the world at large, so as to jointly build an inclusive, win-win and sustainable blue partnership; the Committee will deepen the exchanges and cooperation between coastal cities and organizations to realise mutual benefits. Fuzhou will make full use of the opportunities brought by the construction of Belt & Road, to work together with members with ocean as the propellers for win-win cooperation. The Fuzhou government will do everything possible to ensure the efficient operation of the Committee, explore more opportunities for maritime exchanges and cooperation, and speed-up the construction of Fuzhou as a strategic pivotal city for maritime cooperation, to promote the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road to extend further and wider.

21st-Century Maritime Cooperation Committee is closed linked to the Belt and Road initiative, said Mr. Song Jingwu, Vice President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. The Committee aims to build an inclusive, win-win and sustainable maritime cooperation platform. He hopes that members will further the cooperation based on this new platform, and Fuzhou will give play its own advantages to launch specific cooperation projects and build an effective dialogue and linkage mechanism, which can thus expand the existing communication channel and contribute to the common prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region.

The Charter of 21st-Century Maritime Cooperation Committee was approved and takes effect on this meeting, and the Presidents, the candidates for Co-presidents, and Secretary-general of the Committee were announced and granted approval. The list of the founding members was also announced on this assembly and Fuzhou Declaration was adopted.

“Fuzhou will play a full part while seeking support from all sides to increase the influence of the Committee. I hope the Committee will function efficiently and have close contacts with members to promote implementation of projects and deepen cooperation, and will coordinate the different strategies of members to make a long-term plan so as to better serve as a platform and progress with all the members,” said Mayor You Mengjun of Fuzhou, also President of the Committee, in his concluding speech.

Following the General Assembly, the Committee held the Marine Economy and Urban Development - City Image and Tourism Cooperation Forum on May 18, 2018. Representatives of countries and cities including Mombasa of Kenya, Okinawa of Japan, Dunkirk of France, Pescara of Italy, Manila of the Philippines, Gwangyang of ROK, Edinburgh of UK, New Zealand, Maldives, and Kirtipur of Nepal have presented diverse and spectacular city images to the audience. After the presentations, they have productive discussions on tourism cooperation.