The coastal city of Taishan, Guangdong province, has been accelerating efforts to diversify its trade with foreign markets and expand its influence. Those efforts include promoting its robust eel farming industry.

According to a statement released by the city government on Friday, Taishan is guiding local enterprises to vigorously explore emerging markets, including Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership member countries and nations involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. It is also bolstering its presence in existing markets, such as Japan.

Meanwhile, the city government is helping local enterprises develop new eel products that cater to domestic consumption habits and promote the integrated development of its agriculture and tourism industries, said the statement.

To this end, a series of eel-tasting festivals will be organized in the city's major eel towns, including Doushan and Duanfen, in the following months. These festivals are an opportunity for tourists to learn about the quality of Taishan eel brands, it said.

Eel farms are encouraged to strengthen cooperation with hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, aquatic product markets and e-commerce platforms to expand sales channels, the statement said.

Taishan, which has an eel farming area of more than 33.33 million square meters, reaches an annual eel output of more than 50,000 metric tons, making it one of China's largest eel farming bases.

Taishan eels hold an important market share in the domestic market and are sold to many countries and regions.

According to the statement, Taishan's eels also have a very high market share in Japan.

Last year, Taishan's eel output value hit more than 7.17 billion yuan (about $1 billion), a year-on-year increase of 13.07 percent, playing a big part in the city's economic construction.