Exchange Database
The United States and China: Protecting and Conserving the Ocean
The United States and China met to reaffirm their national, bilateral, and international commitments to ocean conservation at the eighth U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED) in Beijing June 6-7, 2016. The two countries pledged to continue diplomatic, law enforcement, and scientific cooperation to protect the ocean from the threats posed by global climate change, ocean acidification, unsustainable fishing, and marine pollution. The United States welcomed China’s announcement that it would participate at a senior level in the 2016 Our Ocean conference, to be held in Washington, D.C. September 15-16, 2016. The first two Our Ocean conferences resulted in pledges of over $4 billion toward ocean conservation and commitments to safeguard almost six million square kilometers of the ocean in MPAs.
Outcomes:
The United States and China decided to reaffirm support for the establishment of a marine protected area (MPA) in Antarctica’s Ross Sea, work together and with other relevant governments to complete negotiation of an agreement to prevent unregulated commercial fishing in the high seas area of the central Arctic Ocean, and continue developing the rules of behavior on surface to surface encounters between the United States Coast Guard and the China Coast Guard, and support in principle the development of a document of cooperation between the two coast guards.
Government?:
Yes
Type of Exchange:
diplomatic
education/science
Partners:
United States Government
Chinese government
Sponsor(s):
Chinese Government
Participants (Types):
Government officials
Exchange Date:
Monday, June 6, 2016 to Tuesday, June 7, 2016
Continuing:
No
Level of Government:
national
Location:
Beijing, China
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