Sa shell disputes it with its smell in extravagance. A brown shell bristling with large spikes which hides large seeds covered with creamy and fruity flesh. Durian is the king fruit in South-East Asia – if it weren’t for its smell, which prohibits it from public transport because it is so unbearable: a mixture of old sock, turpentine, excrement of pork, or even vomit, depending on the varieties and maturation.
The Chinese love it, but it is expensive because almost all of it is imported. So much so that it has become a status symbol for the middle class, in the same way as a good wine. According to The Economistthe premium Musan King variety, grown in Malaysia, can cost up to 60 euros each.
Suffice to say that when the Chinese Prime Minister, Li Qiang, landed in Kuala Lumpur at the beginning of the week, the Malaysian government rolled out the red carpet and rushed to sign an agreement with Beijing paving the way for free exports. of fresh durians to the Middle Kingdom. Such an agreement had already been signed with neighbors Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia. Then Li Qiang, after this episode of durian diplomacy, tackled other more classic dishes: completion of a train line which could lead to China, agreement on production technologies and the digital economy . Nothing could be more natural, Malaysia has become an essential industrial hub and its main trading partner is by far China.
Big winner
Like Vietnam, the Malaysian peninsula is courted by Western industrialists, particularly American ones… to bypass China. Intel is investing billions of dollars to expand its semiconductor factories on Penang Island. In Southeast Asia, we practice what the Vietnamese call bamboo diplomacy, which is both strong and very flexible. Joe Biden is received in Vietnam with the same honors as Vladimir Putin, who just landed there on June 20.
The region intends to be the big winner of the new globalization that is taking shape. Malaysia has also announced its intention to join the BRICS club, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, and which now brings together more than ten countries. The Americans know that this proximity to Beijing finds its limits with the numerous disputes over areas of the China Sea, further illustrated by the boarding of Philippine boats by the Chinese military, revealed this Wednesday, June 19. Like when you eat durian, you sometimes have to hold your nose to stay at the table and enjoy this creamy fruit.