Cambodia and China make plans for further cooperation post-Covid-19

Cambodia and China make plans for further cooperation post-Covid-19

Cambodia and China recently concluded a meeting to cooperate in the fields of politics, economy, security, cultural and people-to-people exchange.

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong said on Wednesday (Aug 12) that he and Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi co-chaired the video conference between the two countries in June this year.

Namhong told Xinhua that both sides signed a memorandum of understanding to implement the plan of action for the Cambodia-China Intergovernmental Coordination Committee (2019-2023).

On the economic front, Namhong said both sides agreed on priority sectors to boost trade during and after the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said the two countries wrapped up their negotiations on the bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on July 20.

Namhong added that China also pledged to continue supporting Cambodia’s key infrastructure projects, including national roads, bridges, sewage treatment projects, rural power grids, and irrigation systems, among others.

In agriculture, Namhong said both sides would expedite the recent agreement on the export of Cambodian mangoes to China, and actively expand exports of Cambodian rice, bananas and other quality agricultural products to China.

He said China also pledged to assist Cambodia in formulating modern agricultural development plans, such as agro-industrial parks and the construction of rice storage systems, and help Cambodia optimize its industrial structure and upgrade its level of industrialization.

The two sides also agreed to hold an event on trade and investment between the two countries at an appropriate time, he added.

“I think that speeding up the realization of these sectors would contribute to the socio-economic development of Cambodia during this difficult period caused by the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Namhong. The Star