The inaugural meeting of the Marine Spatial Planning Academy of the China Oceanic Development Foundation (hereinafter referred to as the Institute) was held in Tianjin on December 2, 2018. More than 150 leaders and experts from relevant research institutions, universities, enterprises and governing units in the field of marine spatial planning of China participated in the meeting. At the same time, the conference held a marine spatial planning academic seminar, and invited 10 well-known academicians and experts in China to make special reports and group discussions. Sun Zhihui, President, Lv Bin, Deputy President, and Pan Xinchun, Secretary General of the China Oceanic Development Foundation(CODF), attended the meeting. President Sun Zhihui delivered a speech at the inaugural meeting and unveiled the establishment of Institute. Deputy president Lu Bin presided over the inaugural meeting. Secretary General Pan Xinchun read out the list of the Research Management Committee, the Academic Committee, the Expert Committees, and the Special Researchers who were established by the research of CODF Board.

After the inauguration of the conference, Institute held its first working meeting, and the members of the Research Management Committee, the Academic Committee, the Member Unit Liaison and the Secretariat attended the meeting. Lv Bin, Executive Deputy Director of the Research Management Committee, presided over the meeting. Pan Xinchun, Deputy Director and Dean of the Research Management Committee, made a work report and put forward ten key tasks. Han Jiaxin, Executive Vice President of Institute and Director of the National Ocean Technology Center, drafted the working rules of Institute. The meeting reviewed and approved the work report and the working rules of Institute. Sun Zhihui, Director of the Research Management Committee of Institute, made a concluding speech.

Institute is a non-independent legal person open cooperation platform, which consists of enterprises institutions, domestic institutions and social organizations with strong working foundations in the field of marine spatial planning. The main task of Institute is to carry out marine spatial planning theory, methods, standards and technical research, provide technical support for the preparation and system construction of national marine spatial planning; carry out international cooperation in marine spatial planning, and strive to promote countries and island countries along the Maritime Silk Road; Cooperation in marine spatial planning and undertaking external technical assistance tasks for marine spatial planning.