Recently, the first batch of fresh durians from Malaysia successfully arrived in China through a cargo charter flight, marking an important step forward in the cooperation between Malaysia and China in the field of agricultural trade. This batch of durians took off from Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Saturday morning and is expected to be distributed to major cities in China such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou within 24 hours. The first batch of durians has safely arrived in Zhengzhou, Henan.

The total amount of fresh durian exported this time is 40 metric tons, divided into three batches, and the first batch of 15 metric tons has arrived successfully. These durian varieties are diverse, including popular Chinese consumers such as Cat Mountain King, Black Thorn, D24, and IOI, all from eight well-known durian companies in Malaysia. This export is the first practice since the two countries signed the "Protocol on Phytosanitary Requirements for Malaysian Fresh Durian Exported to China" in June this year, opening up a new channel for Malaysian durian to enter the Chinese market.

Prior to this, only frozen durians were allowed to be exported from Malaysia to China. The admission of fresh durian this time not only provides a broader market space for Malaysian durian enterprises, but also brings Chinese consumers fresher and more delicious durian choices. It is expected that this change will greatly enhance the export value of Malaysian durian in China and promote further development of agricultural trade between the two countries.

As the main export market for Malaysian durian, China's position is increasingly prominent. In 2022, Malaysia's durian exports to China reached a historical high of RM887 million (approximately SGD 265 million) in value. Looking ahead, Malaysia is confident in the export prospects of durian, and it is expected that by 2030, the export value of durian to China will further increase to RM1.8 billion (approximately SGD 540 million).

The successful export of fresh durian not only reflects the close cooperation between Malaysia and China in the field of agricultural trade, but also highlights the strong competitiveness of Malaysian durian in the global market. Malaysia's Minister of Transport, Lu Zhaofu, witnessed this historic moment at the cargo center of Kuala Lumpur International Airport. He stated that trade cooperation with China will not only help expand the durian export market, but also promote the development of animal husbandry. He further pointed out that Malaysia hopes to have more Chinese products transported to Southeast Asian countries through Kuala Lumpur International Airport in the future, while promoting more Malaysian products such as seafood to be exported to China by air.