A shipment of 18 tons of durian from the Philippines arrives at Nanning Wuxu Airport in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on April 11, 2023. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINADAILY.COM.CN)

Eighteen tons of durian imported from the Philippines arrived at Nanning Wuxu Airport in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on Thursday — the first shipment after the fruit was allowed to come into the country.

The shipment consisted of the premium Puyat variety, produced in the Davao region, which has a sweet, creamy flavor.

The Philippines, according to the General Administration of Customs of China, is the third country after Thailand and Vietnam to be approved for durian exports to China.

A shipment of 18 tons of durian from the Philippines arrives at Nanning Wuxu Airport in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on April 11, 2023. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINADAILY.COM.CN)

In recent years, China and the Philippines have developed closer bilateral cooperation — in agricultural products particularly. The Philippines is the biggest exporter of bananas and pineapples to China, which has become the third-biggest market for Philippine agricultural products.

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Under the RCEP framework, which the Philippines joined in February, the two countries have been strengthening their trade and economic ties.

Yang Tianhong contributed to this story.