Jakarta. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on Thursday told his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that he wanted China to import more Indonesian edible bird's nests, as the two leaders met in the city of Chengdu.

Jokowi is on a mission to strengthen Indonesia’s economic ties with China, the country’s top trading partner. Jakarta wants Beijing to open up greater access for its edible bird’s nests, a nutritious delicacy made from swiftlets’ saliva.

“Going forward, we should continue to push for a protocol renewal and additional quota for edible bird’s nests,” President Jokowi told Xi Jinping, as quoted by a Presidential Secretariat press statement.

The National Statistics Agency (BPS) reported that Indonesia exported $387.4 million worth of bird’s nests –weighing around 290 tons– to China in 2022. Indonesian bird’s nest exports to China the previous year amounted to $350.8 million in value and weighed 228.8 tons. 

In 2012, both countries signed the protocol for inspection, quarantine, and hygiene requirements for imports of bird’s nests from Indonesia to China.

Jokowi-Xi Jinping’s meeting in Chengdu saw the signing of phytosanitary protocols for Indonesian tabasheer powder. As well as a protocol on inspection and quarantine for konjac powder from Indonesia, according to the Presidential Secretariat. Jokowi also called for the conclusion of the Indonesian marine products protocols during his meeting with Xi Jinping.

Indonesia-China trade stood at $133.7 billion in 2022. Indonesia's imports exceeded what it exported as Jakarta recorded a $1.9 billion deficit with Beijing at the time. The deficit, however, has improved. Indonesia saw its bilateral trade amounting to $51.9 billion in the first five months of 2023. The Southeast Asian country saw a surplus of $889.6 million over the said period.