An official symposium on developing China's maritime industry through science and technology was held in east China's Fujian Province on November 30.

Officials from the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, the State Oceanic Administration, the State Development Planning Commission, the Ministry of Agriculture as well as representatives from 17 coastal provinces and cities exchanged their views and experience on the matter at the symposium.

The participants agreed that the exploration of maritime resources, which involves high risk and bulk investment, should depend on high technology and comprehensive management by the government.

China has over 18,000 km of coastline and 14,000 km of island coasts with abundant maritime resources. The maritime industry has become a new economic growth point for China's fast-developing coastal regions.

The strategy of "Developing Maritime Industry through Science and Technology" was brought forward in 1994 with hundreds of thousands of yuan in government funding for research.

During the years to come, the Ministry of Science and Technology will step up the coordination with coastal regions in the exploration to stimulate a more healthy development of the industry.

In the same day, the '99 International Maritime Technology Symposium opened in Shanghai with more than 1, 000 representatives from some 20 countries and international organizations participating.

With the theme "International Maritime Affairs And Cooperation In The 21st Century," the four-day meeting will focus on discussions of global maritime activities, international shipping, and shipping development in China.

Shanghai Mayor Xu Kuangdi and a number of other high-ranking Chinese officials from the nation's shipping sector will give speeches on Shanghai's status as a key international city, the development of China's shipping industry, and the revitalization of China's shipbuilding industry.

The international maritime technology symposium was initiated in 1981 and is held once every two years in Shanghai.