On April 6 and 7, 2021, Xiamen University celebrated its 100th anniversary by hosting a series of events. Director-General of the Department of Treaty and Law of the Foreign Ministry Jia Guide was invited to attend the international video symposium themed "Development, Challenges and Prospects of the Marine Law" and delivered a keynote speech. He gave a lecture of the marine law to the faculty and students of Xiamen University as well. Officers from the main authorities of marine affairs, including Head of the United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority and judges from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, and over 100 representatives such as renowned scholars of international law attended the symposium. Over 200 people including Former Chair of the Appellate Body of the WTO and Dean of Tsinghua University Institute for International Dispute Settlement Zhang Yuejiao, Member of the International Law Commission of the United Nations Ambassador Huang Huikang, and the faculty and students of Xiamen University attended the lecture.

Director-General Jia Guide delivered a keynote speech on the development of the international marine law and China's stance in this regard. He pointed out that the development of the marine law under new circumstances includes more legislations concerning deep sea and distant water, active participation in the establishment of the Polar Code, stronger influence of the "soft laws" regarding ocean sustainability, and emerging marine issues. He stressed that it is necessary to balance marine conservation with sustainable usage, increase the synergy of marine governance mechanisms, deal with the inheritance and development of the marine law, uphold multilateralism, promote marine sustainability and jointly build a marine community with a shared future.

In his lecture of the marine law, Director-General Jia Guide cited frontline diplomatic practices and vivid examples, reviewed the development of the marine law, introduced the modern marine law system based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and shared hotspot issues such as the negotiations on the International Agreement for Conserving Marine Biodiversity, international seabed system and the Polar Code. He encouraged the students of Xiamen University to acquire solid fundamentals of international law and international relations, and apply their knowledge and talents in serving the country. The lecture was proceeded in a warm atmosphere under active participation and interaction of faculty and students.

Participants of the symposium and lecture said that Director-General Jia Guide delivered his informative speech in simple terms by referring to frontline practices, which increased their attention and academic interests in diplomatic situation and the issues concerning the law of the sea.

Xiamen University, established in 1921 by renowned patriotic overseas Chinese leader Tan Kah Kee, is the first university founded by an overseas Chinese in the history of modern Chinese education. It took the lead in establishing the Department of Oceanography among other universities in China to carry out research on the marine law. This event was a useful practice of combining politics and academic study.