Chinese vice Minister of Commerce Gao Yan led Chinese trade and economic delegation to visit Cambodia on May 25-27, 2015. Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen met with Gao Yan and her delegation. Vice Minister Gao Yan and Cambodian State Councilor and Minister of Commerce H.E. Sun Chanthol co-chaired the 4th Meeting of China-Cambodia Trade and Economic Joint Commission and held a work meeting with Cambodian secretary of state of the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The two sides carried out in-depth talks on issues concerning the bilateral trade and economic cooperation and reached many consensus.
Gao Yan said, China attaches great importance to win-win trade and economic cooperation with Cambodia. With the promotion of leaders from both sides and joint efforts of enterprises, the bilateral trade and economic cooperation maintained a rapid growth. Recently, the Chinese government released Vision and Actions on Jointly Building Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce would like to work with the Cambodian Ministry of Commerce to deepen the commission’s coordinate role, to strengthen the cooperation in jointly building 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road with Cambodian side under the framework, to dig out potential of trade cooperation, to improve the level of trade facilitation and to support Chinese enterprises to expand the imports of agricultural products from Cambodia. Efforts will be made to expand two-way investment, lead Chinese advantageous industries and equipment manufacturing to invest and establish factory in Cambodia and to build trade and economic cooperation parks well. Work will be done to enhance connectivity construction, to promote upgrading China-ASEAN FTA negotiations, to deepen the Greater Mekong Sub-region and Pan-North Bay sub-regional cooperation and to further strengthen trade and economic exchanges between the relevant Chinese provinces and cities and and Cambodia.
Hun Sen said the Cambodian side attaches much importance to its relations with China. Since Cambodia and China established comprehensive strategic partnership, much progress has been made in bilateral trade and economic cooperation in various areas. Over recent years, China-Cambodia bilateral trade saw a rapid growth, China has become Cambodia’s largest source of foreign investment. The Cambodian side would like to strengthen its cooperation with Chinese side and jointly raise China-Cambodia comprehensive strategic partnership to a higher level.
Sun Chanthol said the Cambodian side would like to participate in jointly building the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road and strive to realize the goal of US$5 billion bilateral trade by 2017. He welcomed the Chinese side to expand the investment in Cambodia. The Cambodian side hoped to strengthen the quarantine cooperation with the Chinese side regarding agricultural products exported to China, and further expand its exports of rice to China.
Cambodian secretary of state of the Ministry of Economy and Finance said, the investment from China has played a great role in Cambodia’s economic development and Cambodia will continue to support and participate in the 21th century Maritime Silk Road construction and strengthen trade and economic cooperation with China under the initiative. To enhance infrastructure construction and develop connectivity is an important part of Cambodia’s national development plan. Cambodia hopes to strengthen the cooperation in infrastructure areas with China.
Vice Minister Gao Yan and Sun Chanthol visited Sihanouk Harbour on May 26 to inspect the Sihanouk special economic zone invested and built by Chinese enterprises, talked with responsible persons of the zone and some enterprises and met with governor of Sihanouk Province.
