Can the presidential diplomacy of China and France promote the East Antarctic marine protected area?

On November 6, 2019, China and France affirmed their commitments to the establishment of a marine protected area (MPA) in the Southern Ocean right after the close of the 2019 meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). In the context of global ocean conservation, their pledge is worth expectation as well as scrutiny. After summarizing the latest development of MPAs in the Antarctic, this paper interpreted the commitment, analyzed the gaps between the two countries, and explored the possible ways forward. Should the commitment toward an MPA be fulfilled, there will be a significant breakthrough for the Antarctic, thus giving new impetus to global ocean conservation.