The importance of the fishing industry of the People's Republic of China in ensuring food security in the Southeast Asian Region

Fish and fishery products are the main foodstuff of Southeast Asians, containing animal protein. This region surpasses all regions of the world in terms of demand for fish products. The development of the fisheries industry in Southeast Asia and, as a consequence, the food security of the countries of the region, both now and in the future, depends on the main player in this market. China's fishing industry is not only the largest in the region, but also one of the most significant in the world. In 2022, the fish and seafood catch were about 69 million tones and China also accounts for about 20% of the world's fish and seafood exports. The article analyses the role that the fisheries industry plays in ensuring food security in the Southeast Asian region, highlights key aspects of fisheries production, imports and exports in the People's Republic of China, and analyses which sectors of the fisheries industry have enabled China to take a leading position in the global market. The article also examines the impact of the Chinese fishing industry on the markets of other Southeast Asian countries and discusses the prospects for the development of this industry. The main idea of the article is that the Chinese fishing industry plays a key role in ensuring food security not only in China itself, but also in a number of other countries in Southeast Asia. The article analyses the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals related to food security in the region and describes the level of food security in Southeast Asia. The authors argue this claim with the help of statistical data on fish catch and aquaculture production in China, its share in the world and Southeast Asian markets, and compare the size of production of the fisheries industry in Southeast Asia and the size of imports from China.