Chongqing - "As its economic and trade ties deepened with Malaysia, Chongqing has become a crucial strategic area for us," said Zhang Lizhong, head of the Malay Impression (Chongqing) Food Co., Ltd. at the Fifth Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade (WCIFIT). 

Zhang said that Chongqing's huge market potential is driven by rapid economic and social development and the inland opening-up advantages represented by the New International Land-sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC). 

First company in SW China with food production license for bird's nest

In recent years, with the improvement of consumer demand in the Chinese market, bird's nest consumption has been highly focussed in Southeast Asian countries.

At this year's WCIFIT, Malay Impression brought its canned ready-to-eat bird's nest products to the Malaysia Pavilion. This newly developed session facilitates customers, which can be sold to the market in the future. 

Malaysia is the main production area of bird's nests in the world. Under the Belt and Road Initiative, the brand launched the local bird's nest in early 2015, building the largest bird's nest distribution center in Southwest China's Guoyuan Port Comprehensive Bonded Zone. 

The brand is the first company in Southwest China to obtain a food production license for bird's nests. Enjoying access to origin and quality, the brand's price is about 30% lower than the market, which has a broad appeal among the citizens of Chongqing and surrounding provinces. 

Since this year, the sales of bird's nest products have proliferated thanks to the policy dividend from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). 

Relying on Chongqing's inland open highland and convenient logistics conditions, the brand has accumulated over 400 kilograms of products this year, selling to southwest, east, and north China and other areas.  

Confidence to expand Western China's market

Seizing opportunities in constructing the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle, Malay Impression invested in a bird's nest production line and research and development (R&D) base in Chongqing Tongnan District. 

At present, it has launched diversified products such as fresh stewed bird's nest, which contains rose and medicinal materials with advantages of health care and lung moistening. 

It has formed an annual production capacity of six million bottles of bird's nest, and the output value will exceed 100 million yuan ($14.27 million) once reaching full capacity. 

Participating in WCIFIT gives Zhang confidence to expand Western China's market. "The WCIFIT is an investment and trade event. It is a good platform for us to carry out trade cooperation and product promotion," he said. 

Next, the brand will invest in the Chongqing and Chengdu markets, integrating unique local agricultural and sideline products. 

"Several districts and counties have contacted us for cooperation," said Zhang. "We hope that the cooperation will improve the product's added value to empower agricultural villages and achieve mutual benefits."