Abstract
In China, marine renewable energy has become the focus of national re-search and development because of its abundant, renewable, and non-polluting characteristics. In accordance with Article 2 of the Interim Measures of Marine Renewable Energy Funds Management, marine renewable energy is defined as ‘including tidal energy, tidal current energy, wave energy, ocean thermal energy, and salinity gradient energy’.8 However, the legislation in relation to exploration of marine renewable energy remains negligible. There is no specific legal basis for the development and utilisation of marine renewable energy, nor legal protection for the developers. The consequence is that the Chinese Government is unable to provide institutional support for the substantive development of marine renewable energy, resulting in slow development of China’s marine energy industry. It is, therefore, a top priority to establish a legal system suitable to regulate China’s marine renewable energy development.
This chapter aims to introduce the concept of the Global Energy Interconnection and its relationship with the 'Belt and Road Initiative'. Discussion will also focus on the additional references regarding China's energy legal system contributing to the systematic regulations concerning marine renewable energy development in China.