The launching ceremony. [Photo by Huang Yanmei/China News Service]

The China-ASEAN Agriculture Products Distribution Center was officially launched on Aug 27 in Nanning, capital of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

The center aims to establish fruit distribution centers, trading centers, processing centers and logistics hubs for fruit trade, showcasing, settlement, warehousing, processing, and customs clearance, targeting both China and ASEAN countries.

The center covers an area of approximately 711 mu (47.4 hectares) and is expected to cost a total of 1.6 billion yuan ($219.5 million).

The center, located in the China-Singapore Nanning International Logistics Park, will utilize the park's large-scale cold chain and high-standard warehousing facilities to integrate fruit supply channels between China and ASEAN countries and establish a complete fruit import and export trade supply chain system.

As Guangxi is connected by land and sea to ASEAN countries, it is ideal for the rapid entry of ASEAN fruits into the Chinese market. Guangxi imported 3.66-billion-yuan-worth of fruit from ASEAN countries in the first five months of this year, an increase of 193.7 percent.