On January 17th, the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biodiversity in Areas beyond National Jurisdiction under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (hereinafter referred to as the "Agreement on Marine Biodiversity") officially came into effect, and China became one of the first contracting parties. Chinese and foreign individuals interviewed by our reporter believe that participating in the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity demonstrates China's firm determination to deeply participate in global governance and promote sustainable development of the oceans, and demonstrates China's responsibility as a responsible major country to practice true multilateralism and promote the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind. The Agreement on Marine Biodiversity, which injects new impetus into global ocean governance, is an important international treaty under the framework of the United Nations. Based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, it aims to conserve and sustainably utilize marine biodiversity, focusing on four major areas: deep-sea genetic resources, marine protected areas, environmental impact assessment, and capacity building. It further establishes legal norms for deep-sea and oceanic activities of all countries and profoundly affects the international maritime order. The adoption of the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity is a milestone in the international law of the sea. The agreement emphasizes promoting sustainable development of the ocean through the protection of marine ecology, guiding countries to achieve green transformation in deep-sea activities, and assisting in the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It is of great significance for promoting global ocean governance and maintaining the international ocean order. UN Secretary General Guterres stated that the entry into force of the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity is a "historic achievement of oceans and multilateralism," establishing binding rules for the protection and sustainable use of marine biodiversity. Chen Danhong, Director of the International Cooperation Department (Marine Rights and Interests Department) of the Ministry of Natural Resources of China, stated that the Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity is currently the most important international treaty related to the sea and one of the important legal foundations for global ocean governance in the new era. This agreement establishes more norms and sets higher standards for countries engaged in deep-sea and oceanic activities, aiming to shape a more just and reasonable international maritime order, and inject new impetus into global ocean governance. Angelica Pupono, a climate change expert at the International Institute for Environment and Development, said that for a long time, the management regulations of the high seas and international seabed areas have not been perfect, and the development and utilization have not been standardized. The Agreement on Marine Biodiversity fills a key gap in international law and ocean governance, and its official entry into force marks the arrival of a new era: countries work together to share responsibilities and turn commitments into concrete actions for ocean protection. "said Shalimula Samani, Deputy Director of the China Thailand Joint Laboratory for Climate and Marine Ecosystems. The achievement of the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity strongly proves that multilateralism remains an effective way to address global challenges and manage public goods. Faced with the shared blue homeland of humanity, even with diverse interests and varying levels of development, as long as mutual respect, dialogue and consultation, and shared responsibility are upheld, the international community is fully capable of reaching institutional arrangements on complex issues. "Fabienne McLellan, CEO of the Swiss based" Ocean Care Organization, "said that the official entry into force of the" Agreement on Marine Biodiversity "marks a crucial step for the international community in the field of ocean governance, and means that the world can still solve common problems through the power of multilateralism. This agreement lays a solid foundation for the protection and governance of the high seas and international seabed areas, helping this vast sea area become a safe home for marine life. Claude Gascon, Acting CEO of the Global Environment Facility, said that this is an important step forward in the protection of marine ecological environment. As a participant in the funding mechanism of the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity, the Global Environment Facility will provide assistance to developing countries to promote the implementation of the agreement. China has always been a solid actor in promoting the improvement of global ocean governance. The negotiation process of the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity began in 2004 and was adopted by consensus on June 19, 2023, and opened for signature on September 20 of the same year. China fully participated in the negotiations of the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity and signed it on the first day of its opening for signature, becoming one of the first signatories. Before the agreement came into effect, China deposited its instrument of ratification with the Secretary General of the United Nations and became one of the first contracting parties. As a major deep-sea and oceanic activity country, China has made important contributions to the achievement of the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity. Tang Dongmei, Deputy Director of the China Ocean Affairs Administration of the Ministry of Natural Resources of China, stated that as early as the non ad hoc working group discussion stage in 2004, China had participated in the negotiation of the core content of the agreement. During the negotiation process, China played an active role in bridging the differences between developing and developed countries and promoting the formation of a comprehensive resolution, "Chen Danhong said." During the negotiation process, there were significant differences among the parties on key issues such as deep-sea genetic resources, and even sharp opposition in their positions. China has the dual attributes of a major deep-sea and oceanic activity country and a developing country, deeply participating in the entire negotiation process. While uniting the vast number of developing countries, China also strengthens coordination with countries with similar positions, bridges differences in positions among all parties, and effectively promotes the final conclusion of the agreement, which has been highly praised by all parties. Veronica Saraswati, Director of the Global Development Research Center of Indonesia, believes that the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity involves sensitive issues such as deep-sea genetic resources and benefit sharing mechanisms. During the negotiation process, the interests of all parties were severely fragmented. China has always held a position of seeking broad consensus, promoting the bridging of differences between developed and developing countries, and effectively safeguarding the interests and fairness of developing countries. Adhering to the coordination of its own interests with global interests, China has always been a solid actor in promoting the improvement of global ocean governance, "said Saraswati. Johannes Alexander Miller, an ocean policy expert at the Ocean Care Organization, said that China's becoming one of the first contracting parties sends a positive signal to the world that "protecting the ocean is a global responsibility. The Agreement on Marine Biodiversity is not just a new legal document, but the result of years of multilateral efforts, arduous negotiations, and countless conferences. The formal entry into force of this agreement once again confirms a truth: when countries are willing to work together in the face of challenges, multilateralism can be effective. China's ecological governance experience provides important reference for the world. As a responsible major country, China continues to practice the concept of a community with a shared future for the ocean, actively promotes global ocean governance with the international community, and builds the ocean into a sea shared by all countries in the world, a sea of peace and tranquility, a sea of prosperity and development, and a sea of cultural integration. Tang Dongmei stated that China has put forward the concept of a community with a shared future for the ocean, interpreting the harmonious coexistence between humanity and the ocean from a new perspective, providing a Chinese solution for global ocean governance, and contributing Chinese wisdom. "At present, global ocean governance is facing many problems and challenges, and no country can solve them alone. Taking the opportunity of joining the Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity, China is willing to work with the international community to form a joint force on the basis of improving deep sea awareness, and propose practical sustainable development plans for the development, protection and utilization of the global ocean." Zhang Haibin, director and researcher of the Deep Sea Biology Research Office of the Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, believes that China has the ability to survey the whole sea and the whole sea, and is in a leading position in manned deep diving and research on deep-sea biological heritage resources. China has become one of the first contracting parties to the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity, which will further promote exchanges and cooperation between the Chinese and foreign scientific research communities, enhance understanding of deep-sea biodiversity, promote orderly development and utilization of deep-sea genetic resources, and use scientific research capabilities to enhance the common well-being of humanity. China's ecological governance experience provides important reference for the world. ”Saraswati stated that China's becoming one of the first signatories to the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity further confirms that China's ecological civilization concept is not only implemented domestically, but also makes positive contributions to the world's sustainable development through active participation in global governance. Adelino Canario, Director of the Marine Science Research Center at Algarve University in Portugal, stated that China has made significant progress in the field of ecological governance in recent years, providing the world with many valuable experiences for reference. Faced with a turbulent and intertwined international environment, China has once again demonstrated its great power leadership by becoming one of the first signatories to the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity. I hope that this will be an opportunity for all like-minded countries to strengthen cooperation in relevant fields and jointly resist unilateralism. "Sanmani said that the" Agreement on Marine Biodiversity "is not simply about restricting development, but emphasizes science based conservation and rational utilization, which is highly consistent with China's concept that green mountains and clear waters are as valuable as gold and silver. In recent years, China has continued to make efforts in cracking down on illegal fishing and strengthening international maritime cooperation. China's participation will help promote the transformation of the agreement from a 'paper rule' to practical action, and jointly promote the sustainable development of the global ocean