BEIJING, Feb. 2(Xinhuanet)-- China launched an eight-year program Wednesday to protect marine biodiversity in the coast of China's South Sea, which is with first focus on four sites in southeastern coastal cities.

Wang Shuguang, director of the State Oceanic Administration said at the project signing function that the four sites comprise Nanji Islands in Zhejiang provinc e, Sanya marine protected area in Hainan island province, Shankou mangrove reserve in Guangxi Zhuangautonomous region and Dongshan-Nan'ao migratory species corridor along the boundary between Fujian and Guangdong provinces.

"The program will last for eight years and China is expected to inject 12.75 million yuan(some 8.77 million US dollars) for this program," acknowledged Wang."Other funds come from Global Environment Facility(3.515 million US dollars) and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(460,000 US dollars)."

Rui Yuehua, deputy director of International Department, Ministry of Finance, said that China has prepared this program for10 years. The total budget of 12.749 million US dollars will be used to step up the protection of marine biodiversity in the four regions, which will later serve as role models for the whole coastal region in China's South Sea.

As the project facilitator, Khalid Malik, resident representative of the United Nations Development Program in China,cited the project as"a real partnership."

He said"the tsunami has reminded us of the intimate linkage between people and the marine environment, underscoring the need for each of us to think globally and act locally."

"Protecting and sustaining the earth's oceans and coastal areasis essential both to the health and functioning of the planet's ecosystems and to the wide spectrum of human activities," Malik said.

Li Rusong, the program manager of this project, said that the tsunami in India Ocean did the least damage to shorelines that were protected by mangrove trees.