The Xiamen Marine International Cooperation Center (XMICC) was officially established as a public institution affiliated to the Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Ocean Development in July 2019. It is attached to the Secretariat of the Xiamen Southern Oceanographic Center and mainly undertakes the work of international marine cooperation and exchanges. It includes external marine cooperation and development, international marine exchange activities, external cooperation in the marine industry and the Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) Project.

In November 2020, at the opening ceremony for the 2020 World Ocean Week in Xiamen and the Ocean Development Conference, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Xiamen Municipal People's Government signed a framework agreement on the collaborate establishment of the Xiamen Marine International Cooperation Center. This was to implement the strategic plan of the CPC Central Committee for building a maritime power and a community of maritime destiny by actively participating in global ocean management, promoting practical cooperation in the field of oceans, as well as enhancing the ability and efficiency of marine cooperation.

The Xiamen Marine International Cooperation Center aims to integrate international marine cooperation resources in Southeast China's Xiamen city and to build a cooperation and exchange platform with great international influence. Additionally, it intends to enhance established mechanisms for international marine cooperation and actively lead the sustainable development of regional oceans. Furthermore, the center was established to plan and it organizes international marine cooperation projects to improve the ability and level of international cooperation. Moreover, the center is designed to provide the wherewithal for marine cooperation, to enhance its right of speech and its leading position in regional marine management.