Preamble

Sustainable utilization of the ocean is essential to the survival and development of humanity. China was one of the first countries to utilize the ocean's resources. More than 4,000 years ago, people in coastal areas of China werealready living off the sea and fishing and had started exploring the ocean and utilizing its resources along with the people of other countries.

Since its distant-water fisheries industry (DWF) first emerged in 1985, China has been conducting practical and mutually beneficial cooperation with other countries in accordance with relevant bilateral fisheries agreements or arrangements. Conforming to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and other applicable international laws, it is deeply involved in multilateral fisheries governance and regional fisheries management under the framework of the United Nations (UN). It actively exercises the right to utilize high seas fisheries resources, and it fulfills to the letter the relevant obligations concerning resource conservation and management.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, China has earnestly advanced the vision of a global community of shared future and a maritime community of shared future, steadily strengthened the conservation of the marine eco-environment, and consistently followed the path of green and sustainable development of the DWF sector. In order to realize scientific conservation and sustainable utilization of fisheries resources and achieve high-quality DWF development, China is committed to optimizing the industrial structure, promoting transformation and upgrading, improving quality and efficiency, strictly controlling the scale of development, strengthening standardized management, and combating illegal fishing.

The Chinese government is publishing this white paper to present a complete picture of China's philosophy, principles, and policies in the DWF sector and its success in honoring international agreements, to share with the world its experience in DWF administration, and to promote international cooperation and exchanges in this field.