KUALA LUMPUR, Sept. 9 -- A port operator in northeastern China is building a new fruit transit centre to speed up shipments of Southeast Asia's coveted durians to Chinese consumers.

Liaoning Port Group, which manages the key sea terminal in Dalian, began construction of the Dalian Northeast Asia Fruit Transit Centre in late August, a company representative confirmed.

According to the South China Morning Post, the facility will complement a new "durian express" shipping service, launched on August 26, which promises delivery times as short as six days compared with up to 12 previously.

The service is expected to handle about 10,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of durians annually, with one TEU equal to a standard 20-foot containe...