ASEAN is the largest source of imported fruits in China, and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in South China serves as the main port for this trade: over half of ASEAN fruits enter through their borders. As our reporter Huang Fei explains, intelligent technologies and seamless industrial links are key drivers of this multi-billion-dollar industry.
These are orange-mandarin hybrids thriving in the subtropical, mineral-rich soil in south China's Guangxi. The District of Wuming has been cultivating them since 2012 and is now China's largest producer, accounting for a fifth of national output. Many farmers, like Lu Ailian, lease their land to orchard companies and earn wages by working in the fields during harvest.
LU AILIAN, Farmer "I can easily harvest dozens of bags each day. The fruits are in great shape thanks to good fertilization, soil, and skills."
HUANG FEI, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region "With 1.5 million tons of these Wuming mandarins expected to hit the market this winter, many are headed overseas. And after six years of cultivating demand, 60 percent of these mandarins now go to Southeast Asia."
This orange-mandarin fruit industry generates over 1.4 billion US dollars annually. Post-harvest sorting is crucial. Just an hour away, robots are doing most of the work.
HUANG FEI, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region "So here's how it works. These oranges go through a visual recognition system behind me – think of that machine as a giant camera. Each orange gets a snapshot taken – that analyzes its size, sugar content, or any flaws. The computer uses this data to grade the fruits. These are all grade one: top quality goes to premium customers. These are grade three, with some imperfections – they fit a different market at a different price."
With a background in manufacturing, orchard owner Ji Sufeng applies industrial precision to agriculture, creating China's first digital fruit tree map. It tracks real-time data like irrigation and soil conditions: a smart system he hopes to expand overseas.
JI SUFENG, Chairman of the Board, Mingming Orchard Group "Initially, Chinese fruits struggled to enter mainstream supermarkets in Europe, America, and even Southeast Asia. We mostly dealt with wholesale markets, because many clients' impression of China were still stuck in the 1990s. But in fact, we've adopted advanced business and industrial concepts, and modernized the entire agricultural supply chain."
Upgrades in border infrastructure have also increased trade. At Guangxi's western land border with Vietnam, a new port will offer 24-hour, unmanned, intelligent customs clearance. On Guangxi's southern coast, new ocean freight routes are expediting Southeast Asian produce into China.
QIN ZHENQIANG, Deputy General Manager of Production Business Department, Beibu Gulf Port "We have launched seven fruit express lines to Southeast Asian countries, including Thailand and Vietnam. In 2024, fruit trade grew over 26% year-on-year. With RCEP and the new land-sea corridor for trade, domestic demand for tropical fruits continues to rise. We will continue to enhance services, add routes, and help develop cold chain facilities."
New container routes have made previously distant and costly fruits more accessible to Chinese consumers, including Musang durians from Malaysia.
WEI XIA, Deputy General Manager of Guangxi Beibu Gulf Port Logistics "Durians from Raub used to take a detour via Kuala Lumpur and the Strait of Malacca. The new route cuts shipping time by two days. Frozen durians are shipped using liquid nitrogen: they stay fresh for longer, and reach more consumers."
HUANG FEI, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region "From Chinese mandarins to Malaysian durians, these fruits symbolize the thriving trade between China and ASEAN. Before you bite into these tropical treats, imagine the ingenuity, hard work, and trust behind them. And think of the exciting flavors still to come as we share the fruits of labor with our ASEAN neighbors. Huang Fei, CGTN, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region."