Xiamen Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference chairman Wei Keliang (left) and Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) first vice-president Sun Chanthol shake hands during their meeting on August 20 in Phnom Penh. CDC
A senior Cambodian official called for increased promotion of potential opportunities between Sihanoukville and Xiamen City in China’s Fujian province to boost bilateral trade.
“Given their similar geographical locations, it is essential to enhance outreach and promotion of the province and the city’s potential and excellent opportunities, as well as establish a business matching platform,” said Sun Chanthol, first vice-president of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC).
He made the remarks during a meeting with a delegation from the Xiamen Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, led by its chairman Wei Keliang on August 20 in Phnom Penh.
During the meeting, Wei highlighted Xiamen's current economic, trade, investment and tourism landscape, noting that the coastal city is one of China's first four special economic zones (SEZs).
On August 19, Preah Sihanouk provincial governor Mang Sineth presided over a signing ceremony establishing a sisterhood friendship alliance between Sihanoukville and Xiamen.
A CDC press release dated August 20 stated that Wei expressed optimism about the agreement, which aims to foster cooperation across various sectors, including coastal development, industry, commerce, tourism and port management.
According to state-run media outlet AKP on August 19, Sineth emphasised at the ceremony that Preah Sihanouk is a coastal province rich in natural resources and hosts a significant number of Chinese investors and tourists.
AKP quoted Wei on August 19 as saying that Xiamen has established air links with 223 international partners and boasts $130 billion in trade revenue. He described Xiamen as a well-connected city with strong ties to Cambodia.
“2024 marks the year of Sino-Cambodian friendship. We aspire to strengthen relations between our sister province and city, which share similar coastal geographies and can cooperate effectively in coastal management,” he said.
Wei also expressed hope for deeper cooperation between Sihanoukville Autonomous Port (PAS) and the Port of Xiamen (Amoy Port). He noted that Xiamen, as a tourist and cultural hub, can serve as a bridge to showcase Sihanoukville's potential to investors and tourists from Xiamen, according to AKP.
In a meeting with Wei, Chanthol thanked the Chinese government and people for their contributions to Cambodia's social development.
Chanthol noted that over the past 66 years, the traditional relations and friendship between Cambodia and China, established by previous generations of leaders, have been carefully maintained by current leaders. He emphasised the importance of continued close cooperation between the two nations in nearly all fields, including economy, trade, investment, culture and tourism, as well as regional and international affairs.
In the first seven months of 2024, bilateral trade between Cambodia and China exceeded $8.7 billion, a 23% increase. Of this, exports to China totaled more than $975 million, up 19.7%, while imports from China were valued at over $7.7 billion, an increase of 23.4% compared to the same period in 2023, according to the General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE).
