New exhibition in Sihanoukville highlights strong China-Cambodia relations

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wentian on Monday attended the official opening of an exhibition celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative and the achievements of the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone, the biggest SEZ in Cambodia.

Nearly 30,000 industrial workers, mostly Cambodians working in the zone, also attended the opening of the exhibition, which showcased a combination of pictures, videos, and real objects that highlighted the major achievements of the economic zone over the past decade.

The exhibition highlighted the cooperation between China and Cambodia, the shared development between the two countries, and the blueprints for the future development of the area.

In his speech at the exhibition's opening ceremony, Hun Sen praised the economic zone as "a model of fruitful China-Cambodia Belt and Road cooperation". Wang noted in his speech that this year marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Cambodia, and is also "China-Cambodia Friendship Year" as well as the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Over the past decade, the economic zone has seized the opportunities presented by the Belt and Road Initiative and the Rectangular Strategy of Cambodia to achieve remarkable development and become a landmark project of cooperation between China and Cambodia in the Belt and Road Initiative, said the ambassador.

Located in Prey Nob District, Sihanoukville, the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone is a collaborative effort between Chinese enterprises Hodo Group and Wuxi Huatai Investment and Property Co., Ltd., both from Wuxi, Jiangsu province, and Cambodia International Investment Development Group Co., Ltd.

Since its inception in 2008, the economic zone has grown steadily into a popular destination for international investors. With 175 enterprises from various countries, including China, Europe, the United States, and Southeast Asia, the economic zone has generated nearly 30,000 employment opportunities for local communities and helped fuel the region's progress.

Over the years, the zone's import and export volume has experienced remarkable growth, surging from $139 million in 2013 to nearly $2.5 billion in 2022.

The zone is now aiming to attract up to 300 international enterprises and create job opportunities for 80,000 to 100,000 local workers in the coming years, according to SEZ management.