ASEAN Durian Festival in Beijing Showcases Expanding Trade Links with China
Event highlights growing durian exports from Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia, alongside deepening ASEAN-China economic and cultural cooperation.
The 2025 ASEAN-China Durian Festival opened in Beijing on Saturday, marking the first such event since the establishment of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area.
Hosted at the ASEAN-China Centre, the festival featured cultural performances, durian tastings, and trade promotion booths from Southeast Asian nations including Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia.
China remains a key destination for ASEAN durian exports.
In 2024, the country imported 6.99 billion US dollars’ worth of durian, with more than 99 percent sourced from ASEAN.
Thailand accounted for over half of these imports, shipping 809,700 tons valued at 4.02 billion US dollars.
Vietnam held 46.7 percent of the market by volume, benefiting from lower prices, while Malaysia’s share remained below 0.5 percent but has grown significantly since 2024.
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the Belt and Road Initiative, and ongoing efforts to build an ASEAN-China community with a shared future have strengthened trade ties.
China has been ASEAN’s largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years, with bilateral trade in 2024 reaching 6.99 trillion yuan (972.37 billion US dollars).
Agricultural products accounted for nearly 10 percent of this trade.
Malaysia’s durian exports to China saw a turning point in August 2024 when fresh durian imports were approved, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations.
Previously, fewer than 1,000 tons of frozen durian products were shipped annually, primarily by sea.
By the end of 2024, fresh durian exports reached 5.71 million US dollars, supported by improved logistics including dedicated estates and airfreight routes such as Kuala Lumpur–Zhengzhou, enabling delivery within 48 hours.
Premium varieties like Malaysia’s Musang King, priced at 109 US dollars per kilogram in China, are cultivated over a period of 10 to 15 years under specific climate conditions and harvested only when fully ripened.
Producers emphasize strict quality control, branding, and skilled, labour-intensive harvesting practices.
The festival underscored durian’s role as both an economic commodity and a cultural bridge, with participating countries highlighting its potential to foster wider cooperation in areas such as education, technology, culture, heritage, and people-to-people exchanges.
Hosted at the ASEAN-China Centre, the festival featured cultural performances, durian tastings, and trade promotion booths from Southeast Asian nations including Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia.
China remains a key destination for ASEAN durian exports.
In 2024, the country imported 6.99 billion US dollars’ worth of durian, with more than 99 percent sourced from ASEAN.
Thailand accounted for over half of these imports, shipping 809,700 tons valued at 4.02 billion US dollars.
Vietnam held 46.7 percent of the market by volume, benefiting from lower prices, while Malaysia’s share remained below 0.5 percent but has grown significantly since 2024.
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the Belt and Road Initiative, and ongoing efforts to build an ASEAN-China community with a shared future have strengthened trade ties.
China has been ASEAN’s largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years, with bilateral trade in 2024 reaching 6.99 trillion yuan (972.37 billion US dollars).
Agricultural products accounted for nearly 10 percent of this trade.
Malaysia’s durian exports to China saw a turning point in August 2024 when fresh durian imports were approved, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations.
Previously, fewer than 1,000 tons of frozen durian products were shipped annually, primarily by sea.
By the end of 2024, fresh durian exports reached 5.71 million US dollars, supported by improved logistics including dedicated estates and airfreight routes such as Kuala Lumpur–Zhengzhou, enabling delivery within 48 hours.
Premium varieties like Malaysia’s Musang King, priced at 109 US dollars per kilogram in China, are cultivated over a period of 10 to 15 years under specific climate conditions and harvested only when fully ripened.
Producers emphasize strict quality control, branding, and skilled, labour-intensive harvesting practices.
The festival underscored durian’s role as both an economic commodity and a cultural bridge, with participating countries highlighting its potential to foster wider cooperation in areas such as education, technology, culture, heritage, and people-to-people exchanges.
