* At the China-ASEAN Expo, there's a palpable excitement about China's growing appetite for durian, the pungent "king of fruits."

* Last year, China imported 825,000 tonnes of durian, about four times the figure of 2017. The fruit has emerged as a prominent symbol of the booming China-ASEAN cooperation and China's vast market potential.

* Fruit dealers are rejoicing at tariff-free policies, expanding market access, and improving transportation infrastructure as a result of close China-ASEAN cooperation.

Traders from Vietnam sell durians during the 20th China-ASEAN Expo at Nanning International Convention and Exhibition Center in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Ailin)

NANNING, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Seated behind a stack of durian-flavored snacks at the Malaysian pavilion of the China-ASEAN Expo, two livestreamers were introducing the Southeast Asian country's iconic thorny fruit.

"Malaysia is home to more than 200 durian varieties, but I know the Musang King is the favorite in China," said one of the livestreamers, who is a Malaysian fruit exhibitor, to hundreds of viewers on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok.

At the expo currently underway in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, there's a palpable excitement about China's growing appetite for the pungent fruit, with many booths selling a motley of durian products, ranging from durian ice cream to durian coffee, while seeking cooperation with Chinese partners.

Exhibitors display fruits from Thailand during the 20th China-ASEAN Expo at Nanning International Convention and Exhibition Center in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 17, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhou Hua)

Lau Hieng Seng, hailing from Malaysia, brought more than 600 servings of durian-pulp ice cream to this year's exhibition, after missing out on three editions of the expo due to COVID-19.

"Anything with durian in it is hugely popular among Chinese consumers. Our only concern is whether our stock is sufficient," he said.

The Chinese market made up 91 percent of the world's demand for durian in the past two years, according to an HSBC report. Last year, the country imported 825,000 tonnes of durian, about four times the figure of 2017, according to customs and industry association data.

As the vast majority of durians sold in the Chinese market are imported from Southeast Asia, the "king of fruits" has emerged as a prominent symbol of the booming China-ASEAN cooperation and China's vast market potential.

by Xinhua Writers Yao Yuan, Pan Qiang and Zhu Lili