Beijing durian festival celebrates fruitful trade ties with ASEAN

Beijing held a durian festival on Saturday, inviting diplomats and traders from China and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries to celebrate the growing economic ties between the two sides.

With a unique bold flavor, durian fruit has become a symbol of booming trade and regional cooperation between China and Southeast Asia.

The Southeast Asia's "king of fruits" is now a golden ticket in China-ASEAN trade, as China consumes over 90 percent of the global supply.

ASEAN nations are capitalizing on China's durian craze, with imports hitting a record seven billion U.S. dollars in 2024.

Regional producers are upping their game, streamlining logistics and organizing growers to meet China's soaring demand.

"We are proud of our products and the quality of durian from Thailand. And we cut them at the right time, transport it, and be in the market in China at the right moment when the durian is the most delicious," said Chatchai Viriyavejakul, ambassador of Thailand to China.

Others are focusing on refining flavors, with emphasis on what makes the fruit from their country special.

"Most of our islands are volcanic islands and the soil, the volcanic ashes integrated into the soil to many of the durian trees that gives us a certain flavor, which is not easy to replicate if you don't have the volcanoes," said Parulian George Andreas Silalahi, deputy chief of mission of Indonesian Embassy in China.

With the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area now in its 15th year, trade barriers are fading and partnerships are deepening -- from durian to digital economies.

"We hope, by this kind of cooperation, not only the agriculture can be improved both in China and ASEAN，but also the people-to-people connectivities can be strengthened by this kind of cooperation," said Shi Zhongjun, secretary general of ASEAN-China Center.

As durian trade grows, so does the vision of a connected Asia, where cooperation yields rewards as rich as the fruit itself.