China Lifts Import Ban On Bird's Nests From Malaysia

From Mokhtar Hussain NANNING (China), April 2 (Bernama) -- China has agreed to lift the import ban on bird's nests from Malaysia provided the nitrate content does not exceed 30 parts per million, said Najib Razak. The prime minister said a letter of approval from the Chinese government had been received, but the exact date and other conditions needed to be fine-tuned. He was speaking to Malaysian journalists at the Nanning International Airport before returning to Kuala Lumpur after ending a one-day working visit here, during which he met his counterpart, Wen Jiabao. Najib said the government would inform bird's nest entrepreneurs on new conditions set by the Chinese government. In another development, he said China has agreed to give an operating licence to AirAsia to fly to Nanning. He said the Chinese prime minister would also like to see ties between youth leaders of the two countries to be further enhanced. Hence, he said Youth and Sports Minister of Malaysia Ahmad Shabery Cheek would lead a delegation of 100 youth leaders to Beijing later this month. Accompanied by his wife, Rosmah Mansor, Najib and Jiabao jointly launched the Qinzhou Industrial Park (QIP), about 150km from here, Sunday. The QIP, a symbol of friendship between China and Malaysia, is strategically located near a port and tax-free zone in the Beibu Gulf, a Chinese port with the closest proximity to Asean countries. -- BERNAMA