China has an abundance of ocean resources: 18,000 kilometers of continental coastal line, over two million square kilometers of continental shelf, some 6,500 islands and about three million square kilometers of maritime space under its jurisdiction. The per capita ocean area is 0.0027 square kilometers, one-tenth of the world's average. China's oceanic area ranks 108th among coastal countries, with a 0.31:1 ratio of ocean to continent.

With a large variety of species, China has rich oceanic resources of organisms. The total number of oceanic species is 20,278, which accounts for over 25 percent of the world's total, and among which 2,500 can be consumed. To date, China has found 38 maritime oil fields for commerce, with 900 million tons of reserves of crude oil and 250 billion cubic meters of natural gas, including 13 beach mines with 1.527 billion tons of reserves. Potential tide power is about 2.17931 billion kW/h, generating 62.436 billion kW/h of electricity each year. China's sea salt production ranks number one in the world, accounting for 30 percent of the world's total. Thanks to 10 years of efforts, China has successfully achieved the rights to explore a 75,000-square-kilometers multi-metal nodule mine under the international seabed of the Pacific Ocean, and the opportunity to develop this area.

Due to many human and natural factors, China's oceanic environment has been declining in recent years. To address this issue the Chinese government has formulated laws and regulations to protect the valuable resources.