China and the European Union have started working together to build an industrial park in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, to boost bilateral cooperation in the marine economy.

Land reclamation for the China-EU Blue Industry Park is underway in Shenzhen’s Baoan district and is scheduled to be finished around 2020.

By 2025, the park will be fully operational, according to the Shenzhen Urban Planning and Design Institute, designer of the 1-square-kilometer park. 

The Chinese side is responsible for infrastructure. 

The plan was announced at the 2017 China-EU Blue Industry Cooperation Forum that opened in Shenzhen on Friday and will conclude on Saturday. Hosted by China’s State Oceanic Administration, the event is the first of its kind between China and the EU, attracting nearly 300 Chinese officials, experts and company executives as well as more than 60 representatives from the EU. 

The park is intended to facilitate international cooperation on marine industries and improve scientific and technological research on marine resources, said Zhang Zhanhai, head of the administration’s Strategic Planning and Marine Economy Department.

He added that the program was initiated by the Shenzhen government and has been endorsed by his administration and the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.