Phnom Penh: Cambodia's Prime Minister, Hun Manet, recently returned from a five-day visit to Japan, where he participated in the 50th ASEAN-Japan Anniversary Summit. Following his return, the Prime Minister engaged in a significant meeting with senior Chinese officials at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh.

During this high-level encounter, Gao Yunlong, Vice Chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) of the People's Republic of China, and Wu Yan, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Education, represented China. Mr. Gao Yunlong emphasized the deep historical ties between Cambodia and China and expressed the Chinese delegation's keen interest in investing in various sectors, including industry, education, and agriculture. These investments aim to materialize the mutual commitment made by the Prime Minister and President Xi Jinping to enhance people-to-people relations in 2024, focusing on tourism, trade, culture, education, and sports.

In response, Prime Minister Hun Manet reaffirmed Cambodia's commitment to expanding cooperation with China. He highlighted that 2023 marks the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations and stressed their shared objective of forging a "common destiny."

Another crucial meeting took place between Deputy Minister of Education of the People's Republic of China, Wu Yan, and Prime Minister Hun Manet. During this interaction, Mr. Wu Yan conveyed China's commitment to offering scholarships to Cambodian students for higher education in China. China also expressed its intent to continue cooperation in vocational training aligned with Cambodia's labor market demands.

The Prime Minister warmly welcomed Mr. Wu Yan and his delegation to Cambodia, underscoring their participation in the inauguration of Camtech University as a symbol of enduring collaboration. Furthermore, Prime Minister Hun Manet praised the fruitful dialogue between the Chinese Deputy Minister of Education and Cambodia's Minister of Education, Youth, and Sports. He highlighted Cambodia's commitment to human resource development, with a focus on quality education and vocational and technical training. These efforts aim to benefit 1.5 million young individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds across the nation. The Cambodian government has also initiated programs such as STEM to equip students with essential job market skills.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Hun Manet expressed profound gratitude to the Government of the People's Republic of China and its Ministry of Education for their continuous support through scholarships and educational collaboration, strengthening the enduring ties between Cambodian and Chinese universities.