Minister of Commerce Cham Prasidh and 100 Cambodian companies are set to represent the Kingdom at the 9th China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning, China, which starts tomorrow, according to officials.

The expo will include representatives from all 10 ASEAN countries and China itself. Cambodian officials will seek new trade deals and to sign a number of trade and investment memorandums of understanding (MOUs), according to Director of Trade Promotion for the Ministry of Commerce Sen Sopha.

“We will bring more than 60 projects looking for investors. There will also be a number of trade and investment MOUs for agriculture, rice and farm equipment signed,” he said.

Cambodia’s delegation is heading to China with three points to emphasise: its culture, its companies and its products, Sen said.

Highlighting Cambodian culture will take place primarily at the country’s pavilion where “20 artists will perform” and Phnom Penh’s slogan “The Charming City” will be introduced to expo attendees, Sen continued.

At Cambodia’s own promotion event to take place at the expo, 500 Chinese businesspeople have been invited to attend, where they will hear about investment opportunities in the Kingdom, Sen said, and the “rice products, handicrafts, gems and jewellery, furniture, processed food, silk and other items that Cambodia produces”.

President of the Loran Import-Export Company Lim Bun Heng confirmed that three of his staff are attending the expo to showcase his company’s milled rice as well as to seek new partners. “My staff take off today for the expo. We don’t attend a lot of events because many Chinese companies already know about our milled rice,” he said.

To contact the reporters on this story: Gregory Pellechi at [email protected]

May Kunmakara at [email protected]