Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang Thursday called for more efforts to tap ocean resources and protect the ocean's environment.

In the past five years, China has made remarkable progress in oceanic work, especially in developing an ocean economy, protecting seawater environment and safeguarding orders on the seawater, he said while meeting with outstanding organizations and individuals selected from the national ocean systems.

However, the public's demand on seawater products and services has been increasing and the tasks are arduous to protect the ocean's ecology and ensure sustainable development, he said.

He urged more efforts be made to implement the scientific outlook on development and accelerate the transformation of economic development patterns in planning the development of the oceans, protecting seawater ecology and improving anti-disaster capacities.

(Xinhua News Agency December 4, 2010)