Chinese President Xi Jinping called for building China into a strong maritime country, urging more efforts to develop the marine economy during an inspection tour of the coastal cities of Qingdao and Weihai in east China's Shandong Province on June 12. Shandong harbors one sixth of China's coastline, boasting the richest marine resources in the country.

"Building China into a strong maritime country is my long-cherished dream," Xi said on June 12 as he visited a national pilot laboratory for marine science and technology in Qingdao. He said developing the marine economy and conducting research in the marine sciences were important aspects of the nation's rejuvenation strategy.

As the center of the modern marine economy, Qingdao has 18 research institutes and 34 high-level research and development facilities for marine science and technology. It is also home to nearly 33 percent of China's top professionals in these fields, said Zhang Jiangting, Secretary of the Communist Party of China Qingdao Municipal Committee.

President Xi has issued multiple directives toward building China into a strong maritime country since taking office in 2012, proposing a territorial concept involving both land and sea. Both the 18th and 19th national congresses of the Communist Party of China in 2012 and 2017 made clear requirements for China's development into a strong maritime country. This vision from the leadership is empowering the country to become a new type of global power.

China not only has vast land but also a large area of sea, and it is a significant conceptual transformation to view marine and terrestrial territories as a whole. China has made the major strategic decision to develop its maritime economy in a bid to seek new development paths.

As China's contribution to the global economy increases, the country is conducting more and more overseas investment and international marine science studies, which require good ocean transportation and maritime development and protection capabilities.

In contrast to the traditional definition of a strong maritime country as one which relies on military and economic strength to attain such status, a strong maritime country in China's understanding is characterized by a developed maritime economy, advanced marine science and technology, and a sound marine environment. Any such country must also have strong search and rescue and national defense capabilities at sea.

Therefore instead of seeking dominance at sea, China will focus on improving maritime resource development, developing the ocean economy, protecting the marine environment and safeguarding the country's maritime interests and rights in becoming a strong maritime country. The construction of the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road is an important part of China's efforts in this regard.