Jiangsu province opens trade, economic office in coastal Cambodia

PREAH SIHANOUK - East China's Jiangsu province on Wednesday opened a trade and economic representative office in the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone (SSEZ) in southwest Cambodia, aiming to further boost trade and investment ties between the two countries.

Zhang Lei, vice governor of Jiangsu province, Sok Chenda Sophea, secretary general of the Council for the Development of Cambodia, and Yun Min, governor of Preah Sihanouk province, jointly unveiled the plaque of the representative office in the Chinese-invested SSEZ.

Zhang pledged to encourage more Chinese investors to Cambodia as a lot of Chinese enterprises have been expanding their businesses overseas.

He said Preah Sihanouk is one of their investment destinations because the coastal province is situated along the area covered by China's proposed "Belt and Road" initiative.

"With this favorable location in combination with excellent ties between China and Cambodia, I believe that more Chinese investors will invest in the zone," he said.

According to Cheng Jiangang, president of the SSEZ, 88 companies, mostly from China, have built factories in the zone, which is expected to attract up to 200 firms and create 100,000 jobs for Cambodians in the coming years.

Sok Chenda Sophea said the leaders of the two countries, particularly Chinese President Xi Jinping and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, have paid high attention to the progress of the zone.

"Every time they met, they always talked about the promotion and development of the zone," he said.

Meanwhile, Yun Min promised to continue good cooperation with the SSEZ in order to facilitate people who are willing to invest in the zone.