Shandong province held the "Connecting Shandong with Fortune Global 500" ASEAN special on Sept 22 in its provincial capital of Jinan via online and offline channels to facilitate business and boost cooperation with ASEAN countries.

In his online speech, H.E. Seang Thay, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Commerce Kingdom of Cambodia, said that under the principle of regional partnership, ASEAN and China have built a good relationship that has significantly promoted bilateral cooperation in many sectors.

H.E. Seang Thay (middle), Secretary of State of the Ministry of Commerce Kingdom of Cambodia, delivers a speech at the "Connecting Shandong with Fortune Global 500" ASEAN special event. [Photo/commerce.shandong.gov.cn]

"The cooperation under the framework of Belt and Road Initiative has also played a significant role in strengthening Cambodia-China relations," he said.

He pointed out that China is Cambodia's top trading partner and tourism investor. In 2019, bilateral trade between Cambodia and China increased to $8.56 billion.

He also expressed his gratitude for the help and medical support that China has provided to Cambodia to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, and noted that the relations between Cambodia and Shandong have gained good momentum, with cooperation in politics, economy, culture and other areas constantly expanding.

According to Seang Thay, Cambodia's exports to Shandong province amounted to around $34 million in 2019. Meanwhile, the country imported about $414 million worth of goods from Shandong.

He also mentioned the Cambodia Commercial Center in Yantai, which was launched in May 2019 as a gateway for Chinese investors to do business in Cambodia. H.E. Pan Sorasak, Minister of Commerce of Cambodia, and a Cambodian trade delegation attended the center's launch ceremony and met with Shandong officials to promote bilateral trade.

"Cambodia welcomes companies from around the world, especially from Shandong province, to explore investment potential and opportunities to do business and investment in Cambodia," said Seang Thay.