China’s flagship marine expo in Shenzhen on Thursday highlighted the nation’s strengths in the blue economy — a term used to describe the economic activities associated with the oceans and seas — in which the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has a leading role to play.  

The expo has been developed as an annual showcase for hardcore equipment and advanced technological achievements in the country’s marine sector, ranging from ultra-deepwater drilling platforms to advanced seaplanes.

Funky products featuring the marine industry have been added to the main hall of the sprawling Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center, where attendees can experience a virtual reality set to simulate maritime rescues and taste fresh oysters from Jiangmen at bargain prices.

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Sun Shuxian, China’s vice-minister of natural resources and head of the State Oceanic Administration, said the marine economy now has new missions for promoting high-quality development and a high level of openness.

Addressing the event, Sun said the authorities will continue to strengthen the blue economy’s research and development capabilities while supporting the construction of strong marine provinces and modern marine cities.

Among the regions at the forefront is the Greater Bay Area, an economic powerhouse that includes Hong Kong and megacities in the southern mainland’s Guangdong province such as Shenzhen and Guangzhou.

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According to the Department of Natural Resources of Guangdong, the marine industry’s economic output in the province rose 4 percent year-on-year to nearly 1.88 trillion yuan ($264 billion) last year, accounting for 18.9 percent of the nation’s blue economy.

Hu Zhenyu, director of the department of sustainable development and blue economy research at China Development Institute, said the marine sector plays a “leading role” in driving nationwide economic recovery as it spans almost all areas of the national economy and is characterized by features including high investment and high output.

Hu said Shenzhen could serve as a linchpin for developing the marine economy by forging closer collaborations with surrounding cities. For instance, the 11-city Greater Bay Area can work together to build a cultural and tourism community by leveraging tourism infrastructure and events like the marine expo.