China sees thriving fruit trade with Mekong River countries

Staff members label durians to be exported to China at a durian processing plant in Dak Lak province, Vietnam, Sept. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Hu Jiali)

GUANGZHOU, May 11 (Xinhua) -- China's fruit imports from five countries along the Mekong River amounted to 10.68 billion U.S. dollars in 2023, accounting for nearly 60 percent of the country's total.

The figure was released on Friday by Guo Libin, Party chief of the Foreign Economic Cooperation Center under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, at the Lancang-Mekong Fruit Industry Development Workshop held in the southern metropolis of Guangzhou.

According to the workshop, durians, mangoes, bananas, longans, mangosteens, coconuts and other fruits from Mekong River countries and other Southeast Asian countries are popular among Chinese consumers. Similarly, Chinese dates, persimmons, pears, pomegranates and cantaloupes have entered the Southeast Asian market, renowned for their excellent quality, competitive prices and delicious taste.

After the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement, economic and trade cooperation between China and the Mekong River countries has continued to deepen, and the trade in agricultural products, including fruits and vegetables, has been growing continuously, according to Guo.

"Thanks to the China-Laos Railway, fruits from the Mekong River countries can enter China more quickly, providing a broader space for agricultural cooperation," Guo said.

Six countries -- China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam -- jointly established the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation framework. These countries share the same river, called the Lancang River in China and the Mekong River when it flows through the other five countries before emptying into the sea.