- Excellency Leader of the People’s Republic of China;
- Excellencies Leaders of Participating Countries;
- Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen!
Today, I am truly honoured to deliver my remarks at the opening session of the 18th China-ASEAN Expo with the theme “Sharing Opportunities Created by the New Land-Sea Corridor, Building the China-ASEAN Community with a Shared Future”. Certainly, this 18th China-ASEAN Expo bears a testimony to the great success of China-ASEAN Dialogue Partnership, which has brought about development in all fields and prosperity for the nations and the people of ASEAN and China. In this spirit, I would like to express my pleasure and congratulations to the 30th Anniversary of China-ASEAN Dialogue Partnership as well as the Anniversary of China-ASEAN Commitment to Sustainable Development.
In parallel, the resounding success achieved during the past 30 years has become concrete foundation for ASEAN and China in laying out a great path and creating new opportunities for achieving a shared prosperous and inclusive future. Going forward, I am of the view that China and ASEAN must continue working together in the fight against and overcoming Covid-19 pandemic so as to sustain socio-economic activities and people’s livelihood. The fight against this global pandemics requires solidarity, trust, joint planning as well as action in a prudent manner under multilateralism mechanism with respect for international law and sovereignty of each country.
In addition, China-ASEAN must continue promoting cooperation in all sectors, especially finance and trade, in order to accelerate the socio-economic recovery in the aftermath of the Covid-19 crisis through widening the openness of market and flows of free trade, as well as facilitation of investment flows, which would enable Cambodia and other countries in the region to promote exports of potential commodities and get more financial resources.
- Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen!
On behalf of the Royal Government and the people of Cambodia, I would like to express my deep gratitude to the government and the people of China for the assistance to the Royal Government and the people of Cambodia through all forms of supports, including Covid-19 treatment techniques, medical equipment, and especially the donation of the Covid-19 vaccines as well as the facilitation of vaccine purchases from China. At the same time, I highly commend the Government and the people of China for the active participation and its leading role in the fight against the Covid-19 at the global level, via the production and distribution of vaccines, provision of medical equipment as well as experience-sharing on prevention, care and treatment for the Covid-19 patients.
For Cambodia, despite being regarded as a country with limited resources, the Royal Government of Cambodia has committed to turning this Covid-19 crisis into an opportunity for more in-depth reforms, aiming to build a stronger and more resilient social and economic system to future crises. For more than a year, the Royal Government of Cambodia, on one hand, has actively combatted the Covid-19 through the implementation of 03 key strategies, namely, prevention, treatment, and vaccination; while on the other hand, has implemented policies to sustain people’s livelihood and business activities across all sectors. Concurrently, to accelerate the re-opening of socio-economic activities and to prevent the spread of the new Covid-19 variants, the Royal Government of Cambodia has launched the Vaccination Campaign for Children and Youth aged 12 to under 18 on August 01, 2021, and the 3rd Dose or Booster Dose Vaccination Campaign for frontline public officials.
As a result of these efforts, Cambodia has become a nation amongst others in the region and the world to have achieved remarkably high-rate of Covid-19 vaccination for its people. By the end of August 2021, compared with the plan, two-dose vaccination rate for the population over the age of 18-year is 86%, while the first-dose vaccination rate for children and adolescents from the age 12 to under 18-year is 81%. Cambodia will be able to achieve the goal of developing national herd immunity, and to gradually reopen socio-economic activities in the very near future. Given this opportunity, the Royal Government of Cambodia has proactively made unremitting efforts to improve business and investment environment as well as to enhance the competitiveness through the introduction and implementation of sharp measures for reforms, one after another.
Finally, I wish this 18th China-ASEAN Expo success, and wish Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen good health and success in all endeavors, especially be safe from the Covid-19.
Thank you!
