Northwest China's Gansu Province and Indonesia, both crucial locations along the ancient Silk Road trade routes, have deepened their economic and trade cooperation through the apple trade.

Recently, a fruit distribution company in Gansu's Jingning County exported over 67 tonnes of fresh apples to Indonesia.

"Since 2013, we have exported 3,300 tonnes of apples to Indonesia, with a total value of 27 million yuan (about 4 million U.S. dollars)," said He Penghu, the company's deputy general manager, noting that Jingning apples are favored by Indonesian consumers.

He said that the export of fresh apples not only benefits the enterprises involved, but also contributes to the growth of the county's apple industry, benefiting 36,000 apple-growing farming households.

He said the sales share of the Indonesian market is expected to increase further this year, thanks to optimized COVID-19 prevention and control measures.

China is a major producer of apples. One of its apple-producing regions, Gansu has abundant sunshine and a significant variation in temperature between day and night, which is conducive to the growth of apples.

Over 80 percent of farmers in Jingning are engaged in apple planting and related industries. The total 2022 output of apples in the county is estimated to be 986,000 tonnes, an increase of 130,000 tonnes from 2021, and the output value is expected to be 6 billion yuan, according to government statistics.

The customs of Lanzhou, the provincial capital, said that Indonesia is among Gansu's important trading partners. With the construction of the Belt and Road, economic and commercial exchanges between Gansu and Indonesia have become increasingly regular.

According to Lanzhou customs, more than 80 types of commodities were added to the trade between Gansu and Indonesia in the first 10 months of 2022, compared with the same period in 2021.

Agricultural produce from Gansu, including apples and garlic, enriches the food choices of Indonesian consumers. And aquatic and mineral products from Indonesia are also brought to Gansu.

To facilitate the economic and trade cooperation between Gansu and Indonesia, Lanzhou customs has continued to optimize its customs clearance procedures to ensure the smooth import and export of featured products.

Statistics from the customs showed that in the first 10 months of 2022, the total value of Gansu's import and export trade with Indonesia was 2.89 billion yuan, a more than sixfold year-on-year increase.