A view of the Sanya Bay in Hainan province. (PHOTO: XINHUA)

By ZHONG Jianli

China is gearing up to improve its seascape by building or renovating around 110 beautiful bays across the country.

The Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) has issued an action plan to expand and upgrade the "beautiful bay" initiative, a key strategy to revitalize and safeguard the coastal ecosystem.

The action plan represents a substantial expansion from the previous 50 bays targeted under the initiative.

Moreover, the bays in seven major coastal cities will be comprehensively developed. They are Qinhuangdao and Tangshan in Hebei province, Weihai and Rizhao in Shandong province, Yancheng in Jiangsu province, Xiamen in Fujian province, and Sanya in Hainan province.

The goal is holistic improvement in the ecological environment of these bays, with "clean water, a tidy coastline, thriving birds and fish, and harmonious human-nature relationship." Specific targets have been set for 2025 and 2027 to track the progress of the endeavor.

The plan focuses on three areas. It will drive the expansion and quality enhancement of beautiful bays, moving beyond localized efforts towards a more systematic approach. It will also prioritize the protection and restoration of critical marine ecosystems, such as mangrove forests, coral reefs, seagrass beds and coastal wetlands.

Finally, it will strengthen the treatment and regulation of key sewage outlets discharging into the sea, and establish and improve a mechanism for regularly monitoring those outlets.

For effective implementation of the plan, the MEE says increased funding and policy support is needed, as well as greater public participation, and enhanced publicity and guidance.

The beautiful bay initiative goes beyond safeguarding China's coastal environment. It will also help realize the broader goal of building a beautiful China.