Chad, June 21 -- Par Shang Rongzheng, People's Daily

Inside a greenhouse, farm workers lift shrimp shelters from the water, revealing plump Australian freshwater spiny lobsters scurrying beneath the surface. In nearby holding ponds, Chinese mitten crabs crawl through the water, while bubbles constantly rise to the surface.

This scene unfolds not on the coast but on the southern edge of the Taklimakan Desert, in Hetian County of Hetian Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

"Starting in 2024, we built an aquaculture base covering nearly 67 hectares on saline-alkali desert land, raising species including Chinese mitten crab, whiteleg shrimp, Australian 'freshwater lobster,' and common perch, mainly to supply lo...