On January 9, 2023, Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wentian and Prime Minister Hun Sen jointly attended the opening ceremony of the upgrade and reconstruction project of the Skung-Kampong Cham section of Highway 7. Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Yin Caili, Chea Sopala, Mae Sen An, and Minister of Public Works and Transport Sun Zhantuo, First Secretary of the Economic and Commercial Office of the Chinese Embassy in Cambodia Wang Peng and others attended the meeting.

Route 7 Project

Highway No. 7 is the only road from Phnom Penh to Kampong Cham, a major economic province. It is the first highway project constructed by China with preferential loan funds. The upgraded section from Scone to Kampong Cham is about 45 kilometers long and is expected to be completed in 2027 . The project is provided by the Export-Import Bank of China with preferential loans and undertaken by China Road and Bridge Engineering Co., Ltd.

Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wentian and Prime Minister Hun Sen attended the commencement ceremony

Ambassador Wang warmly congratulated the successful commencement of the No. 7 Highway Upgrading and Reconstruction Project. He spoke highly of Cambodia's political and social stability under the leadership of the Cambodian People's Party government headed by Prime Minister Hun Sen. Its economy has maintained rapid growth for many years, and its anti-epidemic achievements have been highly recognized by countries around the world. I sincerely wish Cambodia social stability, economic development and people's well-being under the leadership of the People's Party headed by Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Prime Minister Hun Sen thanked China for providing assistance to the development and construction of Cambodia's roads, bridges, electricity and other fields, saying that this has made great contributions to the development of Cambodia. Especially during the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, Chinese friends provided Cambodia with sufficient new crown vaccines to help Cambodia quickly control the epidemic, reduce the death rate, and achieve a comprehensive economic and social recovery. He reiterated that if Cambodia does not rely on China, who else can it rely on?

Prime Minister Hun Sen emphasized that 2023 is the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Cambodia and China and the China-Cambodia Friendship Year. He is very glad that Cambodia and China have become comprehensive strategic cooperative partners and a community of shared future. The No. 7 highway upgrading project started this time is the result of Premier Li Keqiang's visit to Cambodia in November 2022. The project will start construction in just a few months, which fully reflects the pragmatism and efficiency of Cambodia-China cooperation. Editor/He Yuting