Man charged with murder as police identify woman found dead in Melbourne’s Chinatown

A woman found dead in Melbourne's Chinatown has been identified as a 32-year-old from Geelong, as a man is due to face court over her murder.

A Cowes man was charged with murder after a woman's body was found in Melbourne's city centre. (AAP)

A woman found dead in central Melbourne has been identified as a 32-year-old from suburban Geelong.

Police on Thursday confirmed for the first time that the victim, found yesterday in Melbourne's Chinatown, was from Highton and aged 32.

An autopsy was conducted overnight to determine her cause of death. The results are yet to be made public.

A 32-year-old Phillip Island man has been charged with her murder.

He is due to face court later on Thursday after spending the night in custody.

The body of a female was found by a passerby on Celestial Avenue in Melbourne. Source: AAP

He was on Wednesday night charged with one count of murder.

The woman was found at the intersection of Little Bourke Street and Celestial Avenue just after 6.30am on Wednesday.

Detectives quickly declared her death suspicious.

The woman is believed to have been dead when a member of the public made the grisly discovery, Acting Superintendent Craig Peel said.