China urged Japan to stop sowing discord, creating trouble in the South China Sea and jeopardizing peace and stability in the region, said Jiang Bin, spokesnan for China's Ministry of National Defense, at a press conference in Beijing on Thursday.
In the wake of an incident provoked by a Philippine vessel near Xianbin Jiao of China's Nansha Qundao, the Japanese Embassy in the Philippines quickly posted on social media that it's "gravely concerned" over the so-called "dangerous actions" by China, and portrayed itself as "upholding the rule of law and opposing any actions which increase tensions".
In response, Jiang emphasized that the Chinese side firmly opposes the Jananese behavior.
"As a country outside of the South China Sea, Japan distorts facts and confuses right and wrong by siding with the Philippines. Its underlying aim is to stir up trouble in the South China Sea for selfish gains, to which we are firmly opposed. For some time, Japan has kept strengthening its collusion with the Philippines. It has exported arms and equipment to the Philippines, sent troops there for joint military drills, during which it launched offensive missiles on foreign soil for the first time," said Jiang.
"The Japanese side is attempting to break away from the post-war international order and revive its doomed dream of military expansion. This is a real threat to regional peace and stability. We urge Japan first to offer a clear explanation of its accelerating 'remilitarization' efforts, and stop sowing discord and undermining peace and stability in the South China Sea," he added.
China urges Japan to stop sowing discord in South China Sea
High-quality tilapia raised in Maoming City of south China's Guangdong Province now has greater access to dinner tables across the Asia-Pacific, as China deepens trade ties with regional markets.
In Maoming, tilapia ponds cover more than 17,000 hectares, making the city one of the world's major tilapia production hubs.
The city has been developing its tilapia industry for more than six decades, building it into a sector now worth over 1.4 billion U.S. dollars across the entire supply chain. Its products are sold in more than 70 countries and regions, including markets throughout the Asia-Pacific.
Early in the morning, while mist still hangs over the ponds, fish farmers are already out hauling in the catch. "The workers arrived at the pond at around 05:30 this morning. There are 17 people here to pull in the net. There's quite a lot of fish in this net, about 75 tonnes. That's why it's taking longer to haul it in," said Chen Wenqiang, head of the Aquaculture Department of a local agricultural technology company.
Chen belongs to a new generation of aquaculture professionals who emphasize eco-friendly practices to further improve fish quality.
"Fish need beneficial bacteria to keep their digestive systems healthy. Good fish farming starts with good water, so [the pond] also needs probiotics for better water quality. That is why we add probiotics during the fish farming process to improve both the fish's gut health and water quality. This helps keep the fish healthier and enables us to use fewer or no chemical materials, which makes our fish safer to eat," he said.
China is the world's leading tilapia producer and exporter, and much of Maoming's harvest is destined for overseas markets. Once taken from the ponds, the fish are quickly transported to processing plants, where they are sorted, cleaned and filleted before being frozen for shipment.
The latest data shows the city exported 74,000 tonnes of tilapia in the first half of 2026, up more than 51 percent year on year.
The foundation of this large-scale industry lies in high-quality fish fry, whose quality determines growth speed, disease resistance and, ultimately, the quality of the final product that reaches consumers.
"We have been operating for 22 years. We have achieved leading technical capabilities in areas such as selective breeding, nutrition, and land-based recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). Furthermore, we have brought together a team of world-class experts, and we currently hold a leading position in the market," said Cai Xingqi, general manager of a local fish fry breeding company.
Maoming's tilapia industry stands as a fine example of food trade between China and other Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies. In the first three quarters of 2026, food trade between the two sides reached nearly 120 billion U.S. dollars, accounting for more than half of China's total food trade.
China’s tilapia ascends to dining tables of Asia-Pacific countries
