China's 'durian diplomacy' expands with Cambodia's first direct air shipments of fruit
The two-tonne shipment was transported using cold chain logistics in just four hours, allowing Chinese consumers to enjoy the fruit as if it were freshly harvested, according to a statement released on Monday on the Chinese embassy in Cambodia's official WeChat account.
Durian is now the fifth fresh fruit approved for direct supply from Cambodia to the Chinese market - after bananas, mangoes, longans and coconuts - highlighting the growing agricultural trade and improved customs efficiency between the two countries, the statement said.
According to data from the Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture, durians are grown across more than 11,000 hectares, with annual output in the country exceeding 120,000 tonnes, the statement added.
Known for its distinctive odour and thorny rind, durians are indigenous to Southeast Asia. China has emerged as the world's largest consumer market for the delicacy, with a premium 3-kilogramme fruit priced at about 150 yuan (680 baht) in urban supermarkets.
Since 2002, China has opened its market to more countries exporting the fruit, a move widely referred to as "durian diplomacy". The growing appetite of Chinese consumers has spurred the trend, as well as Beijing's efforts to deepen ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) amid US trade tensions.
Still, some industry insiders remain cautious about the commercial competitiveness of Cambodian durians.
"Its production is too small to compete with Thailand or Vietnam. This is more of a friendly diplomatic gesture," said Huang Dapeng, a fruit importer from Zhejiang Province.
"The price and supply offer no real advantage, so I have no plan to import for now."
Thailand and Vietnam dominate China's durian supply, with Vietnam's share rising since 2022. China also sources the fruit from Malaysia, Cambodia and the Philippines.
However, after the boom of the past two years, China's durian imports have fallen in 2025. In the first six months of the year, official customs data shows imports decreased by nearly 15% year on year to 708,190 tonnes, with Vietnam posting the sharpest decline.
Industry insiders link the drop to stricter Chinese customs inspections after heavy metals such as cadmium and alkaline yellow were detected in durians from Thailand and Vietnam.
"The peak season for Vietnamese durian imports will come in the next three months, and we hope import volumes will rebound," said Wang Zhengbo, a durian trader from southeast China's Guangxi.
However, prices are unlikely to return to 2023-2024 highs due to ample supply, Wang added.
Middle-class Chinese consumers are also becoming more cautious about buying imported fruits.
"I enjoy trying different imported fruits, but recently, due to my reduced income, I have indeed reduced the frequency of my purchases," said Su Yu, a Japanese translator based in Guangzhou.
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