KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia will sign a draft protocol with China to resume bird's nest export to China which was halted last year over a safety concern.

Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Noh Omar was quoted by state news agency Bernama as saying on Sunday that both countries will sign the protocol as they have agreed on three key conditions in the latest negotiation.

Malaysian bird's nest exporters are required to get certifications from the Health Ministry and the Veterinary Department and an identification from the Multimedia Commission that traces the origin of the bird's nests through radio frequency to ensure that the edible bird's nests are authentic and safe for consumption.

The ministry could not confirm when the draft protocol would be signed.

Edible bird's nests, made of the secretion from the salivary glands of swiftlets, has been used traditionally in Chinese cooking for centuries.

China banned bird's nests imports from Malaysia  one of the world's largest bird's nests producers, after it found last July excessive nitrite in counterfeit blood nests, a rare kind of bird' s nests.

Noh said the ban caused Malaysia's bird's nest market price to plunge sharply.

Many traders also had difficulties servicing their bank loans, he added.