Prime Minister Hun Manet (back row, left) and Chinese Premier Li Qiang oversee the signing of the documents in Beijing on Oct 17. - STPM
PHNOM PENH (The Phnom Penh Post/Asia News Network): Cambodia and China signed several high-level cooperation documents on Tuesday (Oct 17), during Prime Minister Hun Manet’s visit to Beijing for the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation from Oct 17-18.
On the sidelines of the forum, Manet also met with several Chinese investors who have injected billions of dollars into Cambodia, in sectors varying from railways to satellite technology.
The document signing event was overseen by Manet and Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
The documents include a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the third round of a joint project for productivity cooperation and Cambodia-China investment, as well as one on the implementation of mechanisms for bilateral cooperation on the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.
Other documents include MoUs on green and low carbon investment and the development of Cambodia-China railroad cooperation.
An additional MoU was signed between the Cambodian Ministry of Commerce and China’s Guangxi Autonomous Region on the construction of a China-Cambodia industrial park.
An agreement was also inked on loan concessions for the 8th phase of rural electricity connection, while protocol exchanges were agreed upon for a feasibility study on Chinese grants to repair the Preah Vihear Temple, a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Ahead of the signing ceremony, Manet met with several of the Chinese business leaders who have invested in the kingdom.
“The prime minister met with Wang Jianping, chairman of the board of directors of China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC), and encouraged him to invest in railroad connections that would cover the whole of Cambodia,” said a post by Manet’s social media team.
Manet explained that investment in this sector should focus on upgrading and modernising the kingdom’s existing railway lines, while also exploring the possibility of expanding connections between Phnom Penh and Bavet, which shares its border with Vietnam, as well as Siem Reap and Poipet, which borders Thailand.
He also suggested lines connecting to the Vietnamese border via Cambodia’s Stung Treng and Mondulkiri provinces.
Wang informed Manet that his company has so far invested in 53 projects in Cambodia, at a total cost of $5.3 billion.
He added that the company plans to invest three more major projects – a data management centre to support the digital government, railway connections from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap and on to Poipet, and clean water projects in the provinces along the Mekong River.
“[Manet] thanked the CRCC for investing in Cambodia, particularly in clean water and railways. The railways are key to strengthening the logistics infrastructure. He also encouraged them to invest in any other sectors which they operate in,” the post continued.
In a separate meeting with Li Kuo, chairman of the board of directors of China Metro Group, Manet supported the company’s proposed project to develop light-rail networks in Phnom Penh, as well as Kandal and Siem Reap provinces.
During the meeting, Li Kuo told Manet that his company proposed two light rail lines – one connecting the newly opened Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (SAI) to Siem Reap town, and another connecting Phnom Penh to the under-construction Techo International Airport (TIA) – located in neighbouring Kandal province.
The company will also examine the possibility of other projects which could reduce the Kingdom’s traffic burden.
