Phnom Penh, April 29, 2019 –Cambodian high-level delegation led by Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen returned home this afternoon after attending the 2nd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and a series of events and meetings in Beijing, China since April 25, 2019.
In his address at the forum’s opening ceremony under the theme “Belt and Road Cooperation: Shaping a Brighter Shared Future”, Samdech Techo Hun Sen affirmed that Cambodia has gained a lot of benefits from this initiative.
The success of Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone, a big investment from China in Cambodia, which houses 161 companies, of which 148 are Chinese, generating more than 20,000 jobs for the locals, and the construction of Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway are the evidence of the two countries’ cooperation under the “Belt and Road” initiative, he underlined.
Beside the forum, the Cambodian Premier held talks with some Chinese leaders, including President H.E. Xi Jinping, Premier H.E. Li Keqiang, and H.E. Wang Huning, Member of the Politburo Standing Committee of Communist Party of China and Secretary of the party’s Secretariat, during which they reaffirmed the strong friendship and mutual trust between Cambodia and China.
The Chinese side expressed their commitment to continue assisting Cambodia in all areas, while the Cambodia side called for continued and more Chinese investments in the Kingdom and more imports of Cambodian products.
A part from the Chinese leaders, Samdech Techo Prime Minister met and had breakfast with his Vietnamese counterpart H.E. Nguyen Xuan Phuc. The two leaders lauded the rapid development in each other’s country and expressed their satisfaction with their frank exchange of views on bilateral, regional and global issues for the common interest.
Moreover, Samdech Techo Hun Sen received Chinese businessmen and investors from different companies and visited the Bank of China’s Headquarters. He also inaugurated the Cambodia Garden at the 2019 Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition.
Many cooperation deals related to the fields of investment, customs affairs, rice exports, 5G technology development, Cambodia-China shared destiny community establishment, and so on were reached during Samdech Techo Hun Sen’s visit in China.
During this trip, the Cambodian Premier received the title of “Honorary Professor in International Relations” from Peking University in recognition of his ingenuity and intellect in the pursuit of good relations and international cooperation, while ensuring national independence and sovereignty.
By Khan Sophirom
