PHNOM PENH, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia launched its first overland agricultural export to China via Laos on Monday, a spokesperson said.

Khim Finan, an undersecretary of state and spokesperson of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, said lorries carrying four containers of fresh durians had departed Cambodia for China via Laos.

"This is a new route for transporting Cambodian agricultural products to China," he said in a video posted on the ministry's official Facebook page.

"It has not only shortened our transit time to just a week -- down from 15 to 20 days -- but has also boosted the competitiveness of Cambodian agricultural products," he added.

Finan said the new land route simplifies direct exports of Cambodian agricultural products -- including rice, durians, yellow bananas, mangoes, coconuts, and Pailin longans -- to the Chinese market.