Deputy Prime Minister Sok An joins China's Vice President inaugurates Kong Tzu institute

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 22 (PQRU) - Dr. Sok An joined China's Vice President Xi Jinping inaugurated Kong Tzu Institute on Tuesday, a move that "contributes to the development of culture and education".

Speaking at the colorful ceremony which attended by more than 2,000 including the government officials and students in Dangkor district, Phnom Penh, Dr. Sok An also "thanked Chinese government's assistance for Cambodia's economic and social development".

"This fruitful result reflects a good relation and cooperation which has been in place for a long period of time between the Kingdom of Cambodia and the People's Republic of China (PRC)," said Dr. Sok An, who is also Minister in charge of the Office of the Council of Ministers, told the crowd.

"The two countries have always taken the position as common basis by respecting each others' sovereignty and mutual interests and in this regard Cambodia has always been in the position of support 'One-China Policy'." he said.

China announced on Monday to offer another 1.2 billion USD in grant aid and loans for Cambodia to develop her nation, whose physical infrastructures were devastated by wars, said the information minister Khieu Kahnarith.

The pledge was made in the bilateral meeting between the Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen and China’s Vice President Xi Jinping who is visiting this Southeast Asian nation this week.

His Excellency Kanharith also said that the latest aid from China on Monday of 1.2 billion USD making the total aid package up to 2.23 billion USD including a 930 USD that Cambodia received from China since 1992.

“China’s assistance enables Cambodia to strengthen her political independence as a sovereign state,” Kanharith told a news conference after the meeting at the Council of Ministers.

China, who is Cambodia’s biggest donor, said Beijing continues to assist Cambodia especially in the area of trade, agriculture and tourism—which are the country’s backbone economies, he said.

The Vice President Xi Jinping is pleased with the Cambodia’s development over the years and said Cambodia has been playing a key role in term of China-ASEAN context, said Kanharith.

Cambodia’s growth hit double digits in the period 2005- 2007.

In response, Prime Minister Hun Sen thanked Xi Jinping for his 20-22 December’s visit during which both sides also signed 14 relevant documents on bilateral cooperation.

Among those are: the exchange notes of the construction project of new office buildings for the Senate, restoration for Takeo temple, economic and technical cooperation, concessional loans for road constructions as well as the framework agreement on transport and infrastructure cooperation.

Cambodia’s infrastructures were destroyed by the civil war started in 1970s. The war did not end until 1998.

China has provided Cambodia with the duty free access of 418 items for exporting to China’s market.

“China wants us to export more products to their country, but to do that we need Chinese investors to come and invest in our country as well,” said Kahnarith.

China is also the Cambodia’s biggest foreign direct investment (FDI) and has invested over $1 billion US in 2007, according to the Cambodia’s investment agency report.

"We will increase our exchange visiting program to each other, so that we could learn from each others on many sector for the benefit of both countries," He said.

Prime Minister Hun Sen told China’s Vice President Xi Jinping in the meeting that “this visit is a proven fact that contributes to the strengthening of friendly relationship and partnership between the two countries.”

Dr. Sok An, who greeted Xi Jinping's arrival in Siem Reap province on Sunday, sees off the delegation on Tuesday afternoon.