The coastal city of Zhanjiang in Guangdong province was recently approved to be a national designated place for fruit import by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

The approval will not only reduce the transport time and cost for imported fruits to areas in west of Guangdong and Southwest China, but will meet the increasing demand from these places, according to an official of the city's commerce bureau.

Statistics show that Zhanjiang and its neighbors demand 200,000 metric tons of fruit every year and the number is surging on a daily basis, pushing Fangchenggang Port in Guangxi province to capacity.

The Zhanjiang government applied for the approval last December, as a driving force to develop the Zhanjiang Port into an international logistics hub in the region, the official added.

Experts say that the approval will help to improve the infrastructure of the port and boost business and trade between Zhanjiang and Southeast Asia.