Business owners in China are seeing a surge in agricultural product exports to Asia-Pacific nations following the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, a free trade agreement. Our Cao Chufeng has more.

CAO CHUFENG Xuwen County, Zhanjiang "Xuwen County is located in southern China's Guangdong Province, surrounded by the ocean on three sides. But it's not the ocean or beach that this county is famous for – it's the pineapples."

Xuwen County is the biggest producer of pineapples in China, accounting for about one third of the total production. For a long time, it focused on the Chinese mainland market. Exports to other regions commenced in 2017 but at a slow pace. But last month, under the framework of RCEP, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership free trade agreement, pineapples from Xuwen were exported to Singapore for the first time.

HUANG YIDU Chairman, Circle Logistics Co., LTD "Yes, the pineapples have already arrived in Singapore, and they're ready to be purchased online. Many Chinese living in Singapore purchased them, and were very happy to enjoy the flavor from their homeland."

Most of the pineapples sold to Singapore come from a local businessman and pineapple grower named Chen Ruyue. He owned a foreign export business in Guangzhou but chose to return to his hometown. Since then, he has been selling Xuwen pineapples to different countries. He hopes RCEP can open more new doors.

CHEN RUYUE President, Xuwen Muchsweet Produce Cooperatives "Xuwen pineapples were exported to Singapore, after RCEP came into force. It was our first attempt in the market. It's also a test drive, so far, the response has been pretty good."

For a long time, fruits grown in Southern China, such as pineapples, have faced much more international competition compared with ones grown in the North. South East Asian countries with similar habitats can offer the same fruit at a lower price. The trade agreement is expected to bring new opportunities and more competition. The Guangdong provincial government says better marketing strategies and quality products will be the aim.

HUANG WEIHUA Director, Division of Exchange & Cooperation, Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Guangdong Province "We usually choose better and new varieties of pineapples for export. Traditional old varieties do not fetch very high prices in the market. Higher returns in foreign markets will attract our farmers to either make improvements to their current varieties or select better varieties."

Several RCEP purchasing and trading centers have been opened across Guangdong, including one in Xuwen. They are still in the testing stage, but officials hope they can help businesses and provide international economic opportunities. Cao Chufeng, Xuwen County, Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province.