China-ASEAN fruit distribution hub takes shape at accelerated pace

The 2026 China-ASEAN Silk Road E-Commerce Promotion Event was held on Sept. 17 in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The event showcased progress on the China-ASEAN (Guangxi) fruit distribution hub and its growing industrial footprint.

The 2026 China-ASEAN Silk Road E-Commerce Promotion Event is held on Sept. 17 in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Feng Xiaohui)

Located at the forefront of China-ASEAN cooperation, Guangxi is deepening its role as a logistics hub. Following the opening of the Pinglu Canal, the Beibu Gulf Port's shipping network now serves destinations worldwide, while cold-chain rail services from the Nanning International Railway Port link the region to markets across China.

The Friendship Pass, China's largest land port for fruit imports and exports, enables ASEAN fruits to gather in Guangxi and be distributed nationwide via river, sea, rail and road. The fastest shipments can reach consumers in just over 10 hours from the orchard.

The hub is now largely in place, with the Nanning Agricultural Products Trading Center being developed into a key node for fruit trading, processing and distribution between China and ASEAN.

Pingxiang, China's largest land port for fruit imports and exports, handles nearly 40 varieties of imported fruit, including durians, dragon fruits and mangosteens. It has long accounted for more than one-third of China's total fruit imports and nearly 80 percent of the country's durian imports.