COMPANIES and businessmen from China are hankering for one of Malaysia’s most famous exports – the Musang King. China Press reported that many Chinese nationals are keen to acquire orchards in Malaysia, to ride on the durian craze in their country.

They want to handle every aspect of the business, from planting to harvesting to exporting the king of fruits.

It was reported that Chinese investors own 121ha of durian orchards in Malaysia, most with local partners.

However, the trend is making local farmers and traders jittery because they see stiff competition from these cash-rich investors.

The report also warned that such competition could drive up the price of durians in the local market.

A 300g pack of frozen Musang King sells for between RM93 and RM105 in China.

> A Chinese national, surnamed Zhang, has been blacklisted by Air France for slapping an airport worker, according to Sin Chew Daily.

The woman from Wuhan, Hubei province, showed up 14 minutes late at the check-in counter in Wuhan airport, with her husband and child, for their flight to Paris.

Barred from boarding and advised to change their flight, she stormed behind the counter and slapped the worker on her face repeatedly.

Zhang argued that she was only five minutes late and hurled insults at the worker before she was taken away by police.

The woman, identified as a PhD holder, was held for 10 days.

An aviation company affiliated to the airport also said that it was applying to the Civil Aviation Administration of China to list Zhang under the domestic air blacklist, which would temporarily suspend her from flying with any Chinese airline.

> Oriental Daily reported that Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau’s recuperation has been smooth and he would be kicking off a new concert tour in China next year.

The singer-actor posted the latest update on his official website last Thursday, adding that he was not in a hurry and was determined to be healthier.

He could now walk for more than 10 minutes without aid, the report added.

The 55-year-old suffered multiple fractures in his pelvis and strained tendon and muscle after falling off a horse while filming a beverage commercial in Thailand on Jan 17.

He cancelled his year-end concerts after the accident and the cancellation was rumoured to have incurred losses of more than HKD$20mil (RM10.3mil).