CHINA and member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are deepening their trade ties to make the most of rising demand for regional farm products such as durian, a fruit whose popularity in China is soaring.
Signs of such demand were in evidence at the four-day China-ASEAN Expo held in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, in September.
Standing behind a refrigerator at the Malaysian pavilion, David Chen, a Malaysian exhibitor, wrapped a bagful of durian-flavoured mooncakes for Xu Feng, a customer. Chen duly informed Xu of the storage method and the best-before date. Before their transaction ended, more visitors thronged the pavilion to buy fresh Musang King durian.
"These mooncakes cost 25 yuan (US$3.40) each," Xu said. "They taste so yummy I want to buy more."
Durian, mostly grown in Malaysia and Thailand, has emerged as a prominent symbol of both flourishing China-ASEAN collaboration and China's vast market potential.
China accounted for 91 per cent of the world's demand for durian in the past two years, an HSBC report said.
"During the expo we sold seven cartons of durians," Chen said. "All the durian products we brought here were sold out. There were also expressions of interest from potential buyers in China."
At the Special Summit to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of China-ASEAN Dialogue Relations in 2021 China announced that it planned to import US$150 billion worth of farm products from ASEAN member states in the next five years.
That encouraged ASEAN member countries to strive to export more farm products with higher quality, including durian, coffee and palm oil.
Sharimahton Mat Saleh, deputy chief executive of Malaysia External Trade Development Corp, said: "We have 107 Malaysian companies and nine government agencies taking part in this year's expo. We are pleased that our durian and durian-based products are received well by the Chinese market."
Wang Xiongchang, mayor of Qinzhou, said: "Qinzhou Port Area, which connects Guangxi and ASEAN, has initiated the construction of the Pinglu Canal project. Once completed, farm products from ASEAN can be shipped to Nanning, Chengdu in Sichuan province and other Chinese cities in a quicker and cheaper manner."