Cambodia encourages businesspeople to partake in 21st China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia has encouraged businesspeople, entrepreneurs, investors and service providers to join the 21st China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO), scheduled for Sept. 24-28 in Nanning, capital city of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, said a Ministry of Commerce's announcement on Wednesday.

"The CAEXPO is a significant platform for trade and investment exchanges between ASEAN member states and China," the announcement said.

"To promote business and investment activities between Cambodia and China, the Ministry of Commerce, as a co-organizer, would like to invite all Cambodian businessmen, entrepreneurs, investors, and service providers, who wish to apply as Trade Visitors, to submit their applications by Aug. 31, 2024 at the latest," it said.

The participants will be eligible for designated hotel coupons, complimentary dining vouchers at the exhibition venue, and shuttle bus services between the hotel and the CAEXPO venue, the announcement said.

They will be able to join business-to-business matching services, talking with their potential partners in the areas of food processing and packaging equipment, digital technology and agricultural products, and new energy-powered electronic products, it said, adding that they will also be eligible for study trips to industrial parks and enterprises in Guangxi.

Kin Phea, director-general of the International Relations Institute of Cambodia, an arm of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said China-ASEAN relations have seen significant developments in recent years, particularly in economic cooperation, regional security, culture, tourism and people-to-people exchange.

"Economic cooperation has been a central pillar for China-ASEAN relations, as both sides have become each other's largest trading partners for several consecutive years," he told Xinhua.

"China and ASEAN have promoted high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, focusing on infrastructure development, digital economy, green technologies, and resilient supply chains," he added.

ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.