Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, has highlighted the importance of the China-ASEAN Expo in boosting regional relations.

“Amid global uncertainties, holding the China-ASEAN Expo is significant in forging closer and harmonious regional relations – and helping to promote sustainable development. Above all, it shows that cooperation combined with free and open trade is the only path to peace and shared prosperity,” the Cambodian Premier said in his remarks at the opening ceremony of the 20th China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning, China this morning.

“We enjoy excellent cooperation through ASEAN-led regional architecture. This includes the ASEAN-China Free-Trade Agreement, RCEP and many bilateral trade agreements. Within these frameworks, this Expo is a concrete activity that creates synergies to increase trade between ASEAN and China. We are all very proud that ASEAN-China trade reached 722 billion dollars last year,” Samdech Thipadei underlined.

Held this year under the theme “Work Together for a Harmonious Home and a Shared Future,” the China-ASEAN Expo is an international economic and trade event jointly confirmed by the leaders of China and ASEAN. It was proposed by the Chinese side at the 7th ASEAN-China Summit in October 2003 that this expo be annually held in Nanning, Guangxi, China from the year 2004 onwards. The proposal gained positive feedback from the heads of state/government of the 10 ASEAN countries, and was written into the Chairman's Statement released afterwards. The 1st CAEXPO was successfully concluded in Nanning in November 2004, since then Nanning has become the permanent host city of the CAEXPO.

Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse