China-Malaysia Youth Ocean Dialogue Held in Sanya: Jointly Exploring Pathways to Blue Development

BEIJING, Nov. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- How have the shared maritime folk traditions of the Chinese and Malaysian peoples been passed down from generation to generation? Faced with common maritime challenges, how can China and Malaysia work together to address them?

On October 30, China-Malaysia Youth Ocean Dialogue was held at China Media Group (CMG) Sanya Studio. Organized by CMG's Chinese Language Programming Center and co-organized by Xiamen University, the event brought together scientists, artists, representatives of environmental organizations, and students from both countries to explore these issues.

Liu Zhiyu, dean of the College of Ocean and Earth Sciences at Xiamen University, discussed the adverse effects of El Niño on coral reef ecosystems. He noted that coral reef degradation could exacerbate coastal erosion, posing new challenges to the livelihoods and safety of coastal communities.

How can China and Malaysia work together to tackle these shared challenges? Chen Guangcheng, a researcher at the Third Institute of Oceanography under China's Ministry of Natural Resources, stressed the need to establish an effective chain linking scientific research, policy support, and practical implementation.

Lim Kean Chong, a lecturer at the China-ASEAN College of Marine Sciences at Xiamen University Malaysia, noted that scientific research knows no borders. Without cross-border data, it would be impossible to identify the population relationships of certain species. He expressed his hope for greater cooperation with China to gain new research insights into biodiversity.

As chair of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (IOC WESTPAC) and fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia, Professor Dato' Dr. Aileen Tan highlighted the importance of cross-border cooperation in regional ocean governance. She expressed her hope that China and Malaysia would work together to establish an early warning system, share it with other countries in the region, and pass it on to younger generations.

Young people took center stage in this dialogue. Khor Zin, a Malaysian student at Tsinghua University; Lee Jie Ning, a student at Universiti Putra Malaysia; and Yang Qing, a student at Xiamen University, shared their research experiences. They agreed that scientific collaboration between young people from China and Malaysia should go beyond knowledge sharing, and that through scientific research and technological innovation, such cooperation should also help improve the lives of people in both countries.