Cambodian Minister of Commerce Pan Sousa said in a joint written interview with Chinese media that the Cambodia-China Free Trade Agreement will further promote the development of closer economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries.

On July 20, Cambodia and China jointly announced the completion of negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement. Pan Sousa pointed out that the Cambodia-China Free Trade Agreement is of great significance to the Cambodian economy. It will provide more preferential and more relaxed conditions for Cambodian goods to enter the Chinese market, and promote the diversification of products and markets. At the same time, the agreement itself embodies the steel-like friendship between Cambodia and China. As a die-hard friend of China, Cambodia has full confidence in the Chinese economy. China is the world's second largest economy and has advantages in raw materials, infrastructure, science and technology, education and other fields. This is the confidence for China's economic development.

Pan Sousa said that as a world economic power, China has many advantages in raw materials, productivity, labor, infrastructure, economic diversification, and education. "These are all factors that contribute to the booming Chinese economy, and Cambodia regards China as a model for economic development."

Cambodia has benefited a lot from the cooperation with China. From infrastructure construction to international trade to tourism, the joint construction of the Belt and Road has made significant contributions to Cambodia's economic development. The Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone and the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway are typical examples. Improving infrastructure construction, especially improving transportation capacity, will help Cambodia attract foreign investment and strengthen foreign trade. It is believed that with the entry into force of the Cambodia-China Free Trade Agreement, Cambodia-China cooperation in the establishment of the Belt and Road will also accelerate, and the quality of cooperation will be higher. We will actively implement the instructions of the leaders of the two countries, develop a comprehensive strategic partnership between Cambodia and China, promote the building of a Cambodia-China community with a shared future, and create a bright future of win-win cooperation.

Cambodia and China have always been close and friendly neighbors. Pan Sousa said that “Cambodia and China are united and pragmatic in the difficult period of the new crown epidemic to jointly fight the epidemic and promote economic recovery. The actions of Cambodia and China to help each other reflect the sincere friendship of the two countries sharing weal and woe.” In early February 2020, Prime Minister Hun Sen specially visited Beijing to express his support for China's fight against the epidemic. All walks of life in Cambodia actively donated masks to China, and King Sihamoni and Queen Dowager Monineath also donated US$150,000 to China. China has also given great support to Cambodia. In mid-March, China sent 12 freighters to Cambodia to load more than 1,000 containers of raw materials for garment making to relieve the urgent needs of the Cambodian garment industry. In addition, China has also donated medical supplies to Cambodia and sent a team of anti-epidemic medical experts to strongly support Cambodia's anti-epidemic work. These all reflect the profound friendship between Cambodia and China. In any difficult moment, we will support each other and stand by each other.

Pansousa said that the epidemic not only claimed the lives of many people, but also disrupted regional and global supply chains. Although China has been severely hit by the epidemic, China's efforts to stabilize its industrial and supply chains are commendable. China has curbed the spread of the virus through effective measures and timely responses, while maintaining a stable and unblocked industrial chain. These efforts helped ASEAN, especially Cambodia, to reduce the economic impact of the epidemic. We appreciate this.

Cambodia advocates economic globalization, especially trade integration and liberalization, and supports the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) and the establishment of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area. In recent years, trade protectionism and unilateralism have risen in the world, seriously threatening the multilateral trading system and increasing the unpredictability of global trade. Against this background, China, which has a vast consumer market and strong production capacity, has given global confidence. China has made significant contributions to economic globalization and trade liberalization through practical actions such as the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative. Pan Sousa said: "It is certain that after the epidemic is over, the world economy cannot recover and develop without China." Editor/Huang Lijun