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Island ecosystems and living conditions are undergoing rapid change as human populations are increasingly concentrated in coastal regions. Many island economies have transitioned from an emphasis on primary sector production to reliance on tourism, port, and shipping industries. This has driven processes of large-scale construction and urbanization, occasioning drastic changes in island ecosystems and enhancing the importance of understanding ecosystem service mechanisms on islands. This paper explores the spatial distribution and interactions of ecosystem services in East China's Zhoushan Archipelago and how these should affect the island's sustainable development policy. The results show that the archipelago's total ecosystem services hold great potential but that there are significant trade-offs and synergy relations, which vary on different islands in the archipelago. Cultural services are mainly distributed across the northeastern and southeastern regions, with plentiful natural scenery and Buddhist cultural heritage, which are attractive to tourists. Provisioning services show a negative correlation between cultural services and regulating services, indicating strong trade-offs between them. However, the synergy areas between cultural and regulating services might become priorities for future policies. These are mostly situated in the rural eastern part of the archipelago. The island planning policy proposed in this paper, based on the ecosystem services theory and sensitive to intra-archipelagic differences, contributes to efforts at island sustainable development by seeking to resolve tensions between economic development and environmental protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Island countries and territories are often subjected to standardized development strategies, which overlook the distinct needs of different island societies. Indian Ocean island countries and territories face certain shared sustainability challenges but also have their own diverse needs when it comes to sustainable development. This paper undertakes a qualitative analysis of 1) the overarching philosophies of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road (MSR) projects and 2) the specific Indian Ocean island-focused initiatives that have formed part of the MSR. The aim is to ascertain the manner in which island sustainability is conceived by and pursued within the MSR framework. The article finds that the Chinese government envisions the MSR as a path toward transnational mutual benefit and pursuit of shared interests, with economic and environmental sustainability being mutually contingent and reinforcing. Focus is placed on bilateral and multilateral partnerships that advance sustainable development across the region and on Indian Ocean islands in particular. Although there is at present a lack of effective assessment of sustainability achievements within the MSR, this policy framework offers an opportunity for working toward sustainable development in a manner that suits diverse island needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]