Professor Wu Xugan (third from left) from Shanghai Ocean University teaches Cambodian student Chea Kimhay (second from left) aquaculture techniques for giant river prawns at a base in Huzhou, Zhejiang province, in July. CHINA DAILY

A farmer in Cambodia's Takeo province no longer has to rely on instinct to determine whether his prawns are growing in favorable conditions. With a few taps on his mobile phone, Pros Kh can check water quality readings from his ponds, monitor changes in dissolved oxygen and temperature, and make better-informed decisions about his harvest.

The digital system, introduced under a China-Cambodia smart fisheries cooperation project implemented by the Foreign Economic Cooperation Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, is helping him boost his income by cultivating rice and raising giant freshwater prawns in the same field.

By combining China's experience in integrated rice-fish farming with digital aquaculture, scientific training and locally adapted practices, the project showcases how international cooperation can translate technological innovation into tangible benefits for rural households.

"When I'm using smart agriculture, the survival rate of prawns is higher and also income is higher. My life changed a lot," Pros Kh said.

For farmers like him, the technology is a means of reducing production risks, making better use of existing farmland and increasing income, which is the foundation of a more sustainable livelihood.

China, drawing on its own development experience and achievements in poverty alleviation, has been expanding its cooperation with developing countries to help improve livelihoods and build more resilient rural economies.

Through partnerships with countries including Cambodia, Uganda and Egypt, China has supported improvements in aquaculture techniques, promoted digital farming models tailored to local conditions and strengthened training systems for local talent.

By translating technology into practical skills and sustainable production, these initiatives seek to build bridges for mutually beneficial development and contribute to poverty reduction across the Global South.