A durian, which sells for between Rp19,500 (US$1.40) and Rp100,000 is pictured on Wednesday (July 10) at a stall in Medan, North Sumatra. - AFP
JAKARTA: Indonesia is seeking to capture a significant share of China’s exploding demand for durian which is worth billions of dollars, but experts say the country is not in good shape to compete with its more established neighbors.
Durian, hailed by enthusiasts as the “king of fruit”, has become a focal point in diplomatic engagements between China and South-East Asian countries as Beijing pledged to import more fruit from the region to cement its influence amid an intensifying rivalry with the United States in the bloc.
