The launch of exports of bird's nests to China marked the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, which will be commemorated on April 13, said Soegeng Rahardjo, Indonesia ambassador to China in Beijing last Thursday.

The ambassador made his remarks at a press conference on Indonesian bird's nest exports to China in the Indonesian Embassy. "The first batch of bird's nests were exported from Indonesia to Beijing, Shenzhen and Guangzhou on Jan. 29. This is an important milestone after a five-year-long process," he said.

Due to food safety issues in 2011, the Chinese Accreditation and Certification Administration (CNCA) temporarily stopped bird's nest exports from Indonesia. After a long process, the two countries finally agreed to reopen trading. Now, six Indonesian companies have been granted licenses by the CNCA to export the product to China.

Soegeng emphasized that Indonesia is able to produce birds' nests that meet quality and food security standards in China.

Gu Shaoping, director general of the CNCA, remarked that China will increase its supervision of the trade to ensure that the exports from Indonesia are safe for consumption. Furthermore, a traceability system has been introduced to ensure comprehensive supervision.

According to Soegeng, Indonesia is the biggest producer of bird's nests in the world, accounting for 70 percent of the total, while China is the biggest importer. Therefore, the provision of export licenses will benefit both countries.