Published by ChinaMNC · Longhu

Shantou Ocean Economy Delegation at 2026 China Marine Economy Expo: What Foreign Founders Should Know

Shantou brought a marine economy delegation to the 2026 China Marine Economy Expo in Shenzhen, presenting its Lingang Economic Zone, port infrastructure and marine industry base to global investors. Here is a practical overview for foreign founders considering registration or operations in China.

Shantou at the 2026 China Marine Economy Expo: An Overview

Shantou, a coastal city in Guangdong province, used the 2026 China Marine Economy Expo as a platform to present its marine economy industries to global audiences. The Shantou marine economy industry matchmaking event opened on 22 October at the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center (Bao'an new hall).

The event was hosted by the Shantou Municipal People's Government and jointly organized by the Shantou Comprehensive Bonded Zone Management Committee, the Haojiang District People's Government, the Municipal Natural Resources Bureau, the Municipal Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau, the Municipal Commerce Bureau, the Municipal Investment Promotion Bureau, and the Shenzhen Counterpart Assistance and Collaboration Shantou Headquarters.

For foreign founders evaluating where to register or operate a company in China, the event signals which marine sectors Shantou is actively promoting to investors, and what infrastructure and platforms the city is putting behind them.

Event Structure and Investment Focus

Under the theme "Tides Surging at Shantou, Building the Deep Blue Together," the event was organized into two main parts: a thematic exhibition and an industry matchmaking conference. Organizers described the platform as a national-level venue — the expo is positioned as China's leading marine exhibition — used to present Shantou's marine resource endowments, policy incentives and investment opportunities to a global audience, with the aim of attracting anchor enterprises in the marine economy value chain and supporting Shantou's development as a distinctive modern marine city.

The 2026 expo itself carried the theme "Digital and Intelligent Deep Blue, Co-creating the Future," with exhibition space exceeding 50,000 square meters. It featured eight core exhibition zones, including deep-sea integrated energy development and application, green shipping and low-carbon logistics, marine electronic information, and marine biomedicine. Several of these tracks align closely with the industrial positioning of Shantou's Lingang Economic Zone, creating a bridge for industrial investment promotion and cross-regional industrial collaboration.

Shantou–Shenzhen Complementarity

Shantou and Shenzhen were both among China's first batch of special economic zones. The source describes them as geographically close and culturally connected, with complementary strengths and mutual reinforcement in marine equipment manufacturing, marine electronic information, and shipping logistics. The Shantou event drew on Shenzhen's counterpart assistance and collaboration framework, moving investment promotion directly onto the expo floor to present Shantou's marine industry capabilities in a systematic, scenario-based way. The stated goal is to build a full-chain marine industry ecosystem in which manufacturing and services go global together.

Practical takeaway for founders

If your business sits in marine equipment, marine electronics, shipping logistics or related services, the Shantou–Shenzhen linkage may be relevant when you assess supply chain location, partner selection and access to exhibition-based networking. The source does not specify any tax rates, subsidies or approval timelines, so those points should be confirmed directly with the relevant authorities or a qualified adviser.

The Shantou Thematic Exhibition Zone

Shantou's marine economy thematic zone was located at Booth E01, Hall 17 of the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center, with an area of 285 square meters. The zone centered on the construction of the Shantou Lingang Economic Zone and presented:

• The overall picture of Shantou's development as a distinctive modern marine city;
• The development positioning of the Shantou Lingang Economic Zone;
• Core advantages and industrial foundations in offshore wind power and marine engineering equipment, the marine information industry, marine biomedicine and health, and marine ranching;
• Development results of 20 key enterprises, including Aosibo and Xidian Power.

During the expo, an on-site investment promotion team held face-to-face discussions with exhibitors and visitors to identify project cooperation leads. For foreign founders, this indicates an active, exhibition-based channel for initial contact with local promotion officials — useful for early-stage market testing before committing to a registered entity.

Shantou's Marine Foundations in Brief

The source describes Shantou as a substantial maritime city, citing the following facts:

• Total coastline of 394.9 kilometers;
• Sea area of approximately 4,449 square kilometers;
• Technically developable marine economy area of 10,000 square kilometers;
• Mature port and shipping outbound channels. Shantou Port is one of the 15 ports prioritized under China's Belt and Road development, and the Guang'ao port area is the core port area of the eastern Guangdong port cluster and the only deep-water trunk-line port in eastern Guangdong, with formal development of China's first specialized offshore wind power home port.

The source also lists flagship projects already in place: the world's first "four integrations" offshore wind power equipment manufacturing industrial park, the country's first "wind-fishery integration" marine ranch "Shengtang No. 1," and the world's first 80,000-ton-class aquaculture vessel "Shenhai Xianfeng." Shantou's capacity to convert marine resources across multiple business formats is described as mature.

The Lingang Economic Zone and the Bonded Zone

The Shantou Lingang Economic Zone is described as a provincial-level major platform for high-quality marine economy development in Guangdong. It hosts the Shantou Comprehensive Bonded Zone — described as the only special customs supervision area in eastern Guangdong. The zone is pursuing modern marine industry clustering and is positioned as a blue engine for Shantou's high-quality development.

For foreign founders, a comprehensive bonded zone can be relevant to customs, logistics and trade structuring decisions. However, the source does not detail specific procedures, eligibility rules or incentives. Any registration, customs or tax planning step should be verified with the bonded zone authorities and professional advisers.

Matchmaking Conference on 23 October

On the morning of 23 October, Shantou was scheduled to hold its marine economy industry matchmaking conference in the meeting room of Hall 18. The session was intended to present investment opportunities to entrepreneurs and deepen industrial chain cooperation, using the expo as a national-level open platform.

What to watch as a foreign founder

• Sector fit: Check whether your activity falls within offshore wind and marine engineering, marine information, marine biomedicine and health, or marine ranching.
• Location choice: Consider the Lingang Economic Zone and the bonded zone when evaluating logistics and customs arrangements.
• Engagement channel: Use expo-based matchmaking and investment promotion teams for initial contact.
• Verification: Confirm registration requirements, capital rules, sector-specific licensing and any incentives with the competent authorities, since the source does not provide these details.

This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.