First sea shipment of Chilean cherries for 2025-2026 season arrives in China

A container vessel loaded with about 1,100 tons of Chilean cherries arrived in south China's Shenzhen City in the early hours of Tuesday, marking the arrival of the first sea shipment of Chilean cherries in China for the 2025-2026 production season.

The cherries first reached Hong Kong through maritime transportation and was then delivered to Shenzhen by cross-border trucks.

After customs clearance, the cherries will be distributed to major supermarkets and fruit and vegetable wholesale markets across south China. The whole process will only take less than four hours from the vessel's arrival.

"From unloading in Hong Kong to customs clearance at the Shenzhen Bay Port, the entire process was efficient and smooth, effectively preserving the freshness and quality of the cherries," said Liu Juan, customs affairs manager of a local foreign trade company.

Following this shipment, at least one "cherry freighter' is expected to dock in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. During the last peak import season, from Nov 2024 to March 2025, Shenzhen ports handled a total of 202,000 tons of cherry imports, accounting for nearly 40 percent of the country's imported cherries, according to the Shenzhen Customs.

"We carefully calculate the variables and instantaneous peak values in cherry clearance to arrange for inspection manpower in advance. By utilizing advanced technologies such as intelligent label recognition, we have significantly shortened inspection time combining manpower and technologies, achieving fast inspection and clearance for cherries," said Wu Weiguang, a customs officer at the Shenzhen Bay Customs.

According to the Chilean Cherry Committee, the country anticipates cherry exports to reach 131 million boxes, totaling 655,000 tons in the latest season.

Of those ruby-colored fruits, 93 percent are destined for the Chinese market, with 90 percent of fresh cherries transported by sea, and direct routes to China only take 23 days, according to the Chilean Agriculture Minister.

This year, Chile has further strengthened its cherry express operations, planning 32 direct voyages, double the number from last year.

First sea shipment of Chilean cherries for 2025-2026 season arrives in China

The Lhasa-Nyingchi Railway, the first electrified railway in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, has transported more than 6.25 million passengers and over 2 million tonnes of cargo since it began operation five years ago, according to the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.

Stretching 435.48 kilometers, the railway was designed for speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour. More than 90 percent of the line lies at elevations above 3,000 meters, and it crosses the Yarlung Zangbo River 16 times. Bridges and tunnels account for about 75 percent of the route.

The railway opened on June 25, 2021, ending the absence of rail service in southeastern Xizang and bringing Fuxing high-speed trains to the plateau.

Over the past five years, monthly passenger trips on the railway increased from about 59,000 in its early days of operation to a record 153,800. Travel time from Lhasa to Shannan and Nyingchi has been reduced to as little as 1 hour and 2 minutes, and 3 hours and 49 minutes, respectively.

The freight-carrying capacity of trains operating on the line has risen from 902 tonnes in 2021 to 1,415 tonnes in 2026. Average daily cargo volume this year has increased 35.7-fold compared with the level recorded in 2021.

The railway has generated strong economic benefits, helping form a three-hour economic circle linking cities including Lhasa and Nyingchi, facilitating the flow of people, goods, capital and information, and promoting regional industrial development and sustainable economic growth.

Over the past five years, the average annual GDP growth rates of Nyingchi and Shannan have remained above 8 percent and 5.8 percent, respectively, both exceeding the national average.

Lhasa-Nyingchi Railway carries over 6.25 mln passengers in last five years