Developing the legal basis for non-state actors in China's ocean governance

Abstract

Non-state actors are important participants in ocean governance. In China, with the transformation of government management functions and the goal of establishing a ‘co-construction, co-governance and sharing’ social governance system, more attention is being paid to the role of non-state actors in ocean governance. Non-state actors in ocean governance require legal basis for their different roles of participation in different governance areas. At present, legal basis has been provided to allow non-state actors to supervise the government’s activities, cooperate with government to improve the ocean service supply ability, assist the government in its policy and decision-making, realise social self-governance, and enrich ocean governance resources. In the future, by providing detailed rules on procedural requirements of public participation, implementation of incentive measures and internationalization of non-state actors’ participation, perfecting the underlying legal system of social organisations, and exploring a wider and deeper participation of non-state actors in ocean governance from the legal side, improved legal regime can be shaped to contribute to the enhanced participation of non-state actors in ocean governance.