Foreign officials and scholars have voiced support for China's proposal to host the secretariat of a landmark United Nations marine treaty, saying China's experience in ocean governance offers valuable lessons for their countries, and highlighting broad potential for future cooperation.

Athill Dean Jonas, Antigua and Barbuda's first minister of the blue economy, said China's experience in marine conservation, ocean technology and renewable energy offers valuable opportunities for Caribbean countries seeking to protect marine resources and build more resilient economies.

Speaking to China Daily during the 2026 World Ocean Week in Xiamen, Fujian province, Jonas endorsed Xiamen's proposal to host the secretariat of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction, known as the BBNJ Agreement.

The treaty, which took effect in January, is the third implementing agreement under UNCLOS. It addresses a long-standing gap in the international framework for conserving and sustainably using marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

Xiamen is competing with Brussels, Belgium, and Valparaiso, Chile, to host the secretariat, with a final decision scheduled for the first Conference of the Parties in January 2027.

"The proposal could benefit island countries across the Caribbean and Asia-Pacific, while supporting wider global cooperation," Jonas said. "I hope that Xiamen can get it done, so that everyone will benefit globally."

For Caribbean nations, Jonas said, stronger ocean cooperation has direct economic significance. The region's dependence on tourism makes healthy coastlines, coral reefs and marine ecosystems essential to livelihoods and long-term prosperity.

He pointed to China's work in mangrove restoration, including in coastal cities such as Xiamen, as a source of practical lessons for Caribbean countries. He also highlighted opportunities to learn from China's monitoring, early warning and mitigation approaches to marine algal blooms, as well as its research and technology related to coral bleaching.

"Such cooperation could help Caribbean countries strengthen their capacity to anticipate environmental pressures and respond more effectively," he said.

Fernand Maxime Ahoyo, maritime prefect of Benin's National Authority for Law Enforcement at Sea, also voiced support for China's proposal to host the BBNJ Secretariat, saying it would provide a valuable opportunity for his country to learn from China's hands-on experience in ocean governance.

"It is a very good opportunity for us, as China has managed its marine resources well and protected biodiversity, especially in the fisheries sector," Ahoyo said.

He noted that many West African coastal states lack such experience, adding that learning from China's practices could help coastal cities raise awareness, improve management and better organize their use of ocean resources.

Ahoyo said China's role in global ocean governance has evolved over time.

"More and more countries are taking an example from China," he said.

The maritime prefect spoke highly of marine cooperation between Benin and China, citing training programs provided by Chinese academies for Beninese officials and students.

He called such exchanges essential because decision-makers and future ocean managers need to understand the ocean's vulnerability and act with a sense of urgency to protect the marine environment, resources and biodiversity.

Ahoyo recalled a training program he attended in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, a couple of years ago, describing it as a rewarding experience that deepened his understanding of sustainable ocean management.

During a visit to Xiamen in October, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe, president of the Council of the Togolese Republic, expressed confidence in Xiamen's proposal to host the BBNJ Secretariat.

That view was echoed by Mathe Ablodevi Attiglah, a research assistant at the University of Lome in Togo, who pledged to support the proposal.

"China has begun sharing its experience with other countries, so that they can draw insights from China and adapt them to local realities," Attiglah said, underscoring the importance of such cooperation for implementing the BBNJ Agreement.

"If Xiamen can host the secretariat, it is a great story for marine biodiversity, which is one of the most urgent issues, because China has rich experience," Attiglah said.

"For Global South countries, this means a lot. It means that the center of the world is moving here," he added.