Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) shakes hands with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen in their meeting in Beijing. (Photo: phnompenhpost.com) Phnom Penh (VNA) – Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged to encourageChinese investors to do business in Cambodia, contributing to the kingdom’seconomic development.
The Chinese President made the promise at his reception for Cambodian Prime Minister HunSen in Beijing on February 5. Hun Sen was the only foreign leader to visitChina since the new coronavirus (nCoV) outbreak started in China’s Wuhan citylast December.
Xi said hewelcomed a new era in China-Cambodia relations, saying theimplementation of the “commondestiny” policy will takebilateral ties to a new height.
The Chineseleader expressed his deep gratitude for Hun Sen’s support, adding the visit demonstrated Cambodia places highertrust in China.
Xi affirmedthat China will continue facilitating the negotiation of a bilateral free tradeagreement with Cambodia and that the Chinese government will encourage Chinesebusinesses to invest in Cambodia and to import more Cambodian products, Hun Sensaid in a recent Facebook post.
The CambodianPM welcomed China’s gesture and hoped that China will provide a broader marketaccess for Cambodian products.
The firstround of the two countries’ FTA negotiation convened in Beijing on January 20 and 21, according to the CambodianMinistry of Commerce. The trade deal is expected to lift two-way trade to 10billion USD in 2023.
TheChina-Cambodia trade reached 7.4 billion USD last year, up 22 percent from2017. China has so far invested about 14.7 billion USD in Cambodia between 1994and 2016./.