SCO markets develop growing taste for Chinese fresh produce

From sweet melons to juicy kiwifruit, Chinese fresh produce is fast becoming a household staple across the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), driven by booming exports and faster trade routes.

At the heart of this surge is Horgos, a key inland port linking northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region with SCO member states. In the first seven months of the year, it handled 329,000 tons of fruit, vegetables, and nuts bound for SCO markets, according to local customs data.

Each day, long lines of refrigerated trucks stream through Horgos via the China-Kazakhstan "green lane", which is an expedited channel that clears agricultural goods within 24 hours.

"Growing high-quality fruits and seeing them being sold abroad makes me truly proud. Export orders have increased by 70 percent with prices remaining stable. Recently, we have been busy picking and packaging fruits every day, preparing for shipments to Kazakhstan," said Xu Zhichun, a fruit grower.

Yu Chengzhong, chairman of Horgos-based Jin Yi Group, said the company has signed contracts to deliver 50,000 tonnes of fruit to customers across Central Asia and Russia this year.

"This year, we have received a large number of orders from customers in Central Asian countries and Russia. Our company has signed a sales contract for 50,000 tons of fruit, including grapes, kiwifruits, apples, orah mandarins and other fruits to be delivered in 2025. Recently, we have been exporting 50 truckloads of fruit and vegetables every day, weighing nearly 1,000 tons. The goods can be loaded onto vehicles, declared, and exported within a day, reaching the market in Almaty the same day," Yu said.

"In the first seven months of this year, 329,000 tons of fruits, vegetables and nuts were exported to other member states of the SCO through the Horgos Port, an increase of 37.1 percent year on year. In particular, the volume of fresh apricots exported to Kyrgyzstan has increased by more than 50 times," said Li Jiang, deputy director of Horgos Customs.

Rising purchasing power and a growing taste for variety are fueling a surge in Chinese fruit imports across SCO member states. With transport links strengthening and cold-chain logistics streamlining delivery across Central Asia, demand is set to stay strong.

SCO markets develop growing taste for Chinese fresh produce

China opposes the use or threat of force in international relations, opposes imposing one's own will on others, and opposes a return of the world to the "law of the jungle," Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during a phone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Thursday.

During the call, Araghchi briefed Wang on the latest developments in Iran, saying the recent unrest was incited by external forces and that the situation has now returned to stability.

Saying that Iran has made preparations to respond to external interference while keeping the door wide open to dialog, Araghchi expressed hope that China would play a greater role in promoting regional peace and stability.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that China consistently upholds the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law, opposes the use or threat of force in international relations, opposes imposing one's own will on others, and opposes a return of the world to the "law of the jungle."

He said that the Chinese side believes the Iranian government and people will stay united, overcome difficulties, maintain national stability, and safeguard their legitimate rights and interests.

Wang also called on all parties to cherish peace, exercise restraint, and resolve differences through dialog, adding that China is willing to play a constructive role in this regard.

Chinese, Iranian FMs have phone conversation