UNDER THE IMPACT OF THE COVID-19, THE TOURISM INDUSTRY WAS SUSPENDED, CLOTHING ORDERS IN EUROPE AND THE UNITED STATES WERE CANCELLED, AND AIR TRANSPORT VOLUME WAS SHARPLY REDUCED... CAMBODIA'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FACED NO SMALL CHALLENGES. IN THE FACE OF DIFFICULTIES, CHINESE ENTERPRISES CONTINUE TO INVEST AND ENSURE PRODUCTION IN CAMBODIA, WORKING TOGETHER WITH CAMBODIANS TO OVERCOME CHALLENGES AND PROVIDE IMPETUS FOR CAMBODIA'S ECONOMIC REBOUND, LAYING A SOLID FOUNDATION.THE REPORTER LEARNED FROM THE CHINESE EMBASSY IN CAMBODIA THAT IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR, THE BILATERAL TRADE VOLUME BETWEEN CHINA AND CAMBODIA REACHED 2.03 BILLION US DOLLARS, A YEAR-ON-YEAR INCREASE OF 1.7%. ACCORDING TO OFFICIAL STATISTICS FROM CAMBODIA, IN THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, CAMBODIA EXPORTED 122000 TONS OF RICE TO CHINA, A YEAR-ON-YEAR INCREASE OF 28%.   CHINESE AMBASSADOR TO CAMBODIA WANG WENTIAN RECENTLY STATED IN AN INTERVIEW WITH XINHUA NEWS AGENCY THAT DUE TO THE IMPACT OF THE EPIDEMIC, THE CROSS-BORDER FLOW OF PERSONNEL AND MATERIALS IS NOT SMOOTH, THE SUPPLY CHAIN IS DIFFICULT TO OPERATE EFFECTIVELY AND NORMALLY, AND THE DIFFICULTY OF ECONOMIC COOPERATION HAS INCREASED. NEVERTHELESS, THE LONG-TERM POSITIVE FUNDAMENTALS OF ECONOMIC AND TRADE COOPERATION BETWEEN CHINA AND CAMBODIA HAVE NOT CHANGED, AND HAVE DEMONSTRATED STRONG RESILIENCE. UNDER THE NORMALIZATION OF EPIDEMIC PREVENTION AND CONTROL, CHINA CAMBODIA ECONOMIC AND TRADE COOPERATION HAS BEEN ACTIVELY PROMOTED IN A FLEXIBLE AND STEADY MANNER.ON APRIL 9, THE SECOND ROUND OF CHINA CAMBODIA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT NEGOTIATIONS WAS HELD IN THE FORM OF VIDEO. THE TWO SIDES REACHED BROAD CONSENSUS ON THE CONTENTS OF THE AGREEMENT, COMPLETED CONSULTATIONS ON THE "THE BELT AND ROAD" INITIATIVE COOPERATION, INVESTMENT COOPERATION, ECONOMIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL COOPERATION, E-COMMERCE AND SOME LEGAL ISSUES, AND AGREED TO CONTINUE TO USE VARIOUS WAYS, INCLUDING VIDEO CONFERENCES, TO ACCELERATE THE PROGRESS OF NEGOTIATIONS.AT THE SAME TIME, THE CHINA CAMBODIA JOINT CONSTRUCTION OF THE "THE BELT AND ROAD" KEY PROJECTS AND PEOPLE BENEFITING PROJECTS WERE SOLIDLY PROMOTED DURING THE EPIDEMIC. THE PROTOTYPE OF THE PHNOM PENH SIHANOUKVILLE EXPRESSWAY IS EMERGING, WHICH WILL CONNECT THE CAPITAL ECONOMIC CIRCLE AND THE CAMBODIAN DEEP-WATER PORT OF SIHANOUKVILLE AFTER COMPLETION, PROMOTING THE IMPROVEMENT OF LOGISTICS EFFICIENCY AND SHORTENING TRANSPORTATION TIME IN CAMBODIA; THE MAIN CONSTRUCTION OF CHINA'S AID TO CAMBODIA NATIONAL STADIUM HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND ENTERED THE DECORATION STAGE, WHICH WILL BECOME THE MAIN VENUE FOR THE 2023 SOUTHEAST ASIAN GAMES; THE BUILDING OF THE CHINESE AID HOSPITAL IN THE PROVINCE OF PHNOM PENH HAS BEEN ERECTED; HUAWEI HAS FURTHER DEEPENED ITS 5G COOPERATION WITH THE CAMBODIAN MINISTRY OF POSTS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS, AND HAS COMPLETED NETWORK TESTING WITH FIVE LOCAL OPERATORS, WHICH WILL HELP CAMBODIA BUILD A 5G NETWORK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.WANG WENTIAN SAID THAT CAMBODIA IS STILL A MARKET WORTH HOLDING ONTO FOR CHINESE INVESTORS. "I BELIEVE THAT WHEN THE EPIDEMIC IS FURTHER CONTROLLED AND IMPROVED, THE ECONOMIC AND TRADE COOPERATION BETWEEN CHINA AND CAMBODIA IS EXPECTED TO RETURN TO THE RIGHT TRACK FIRST AND SHOW STRONGER VITALITY.IN SIHANOUK PROVINCE, THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SIHANOUKVILLE COAL-FIRED POWER PLANT PROJECT, JOINTLY DEVELOPED BY CHINA HUADIAN HONG KONG LIMITED AND CAMBODIA INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT DEVELOPMENT GROUP LIMITED, HAS BEEN SMOOTHLY CARRIED OUT. XIE YIMING, THE DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER OF THE PROJECT COMPANY, TOLD REPORTERS THAT ABOUT 100 CAMBODIAN EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN RECRUITED TO ENGAGE IN ON-SITE CONSTRUCTION. IN THE SECOND HALF OF THIS YEAR, WITH MORE PARTICIPATING UNITS ENTERING THE CONSTRUCTION SITE, THE NUMBER OF WORKERS DURING THE PEAK CONSTRUCTION PERIOD IS EXPECTED TO EXCEED 2000, WHICH WILL FURTHER STIMULATE EMPLOYMENT IN CAMBODIA AND PROMOTE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT.DESPITE THE IMPACT OF THE EPIDEMIC, CHINA'S INVESTMENT IN CAMBODIA'S ENERGY, TRANSPORTATION, TELECOMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES, SPORTS AND HEALTH SECTORS NOT ONLY DIRECTLY PROMOTES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BUT ALSO CONTINUES TO IMPROVE THE LOCAL BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT, LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR ECONOMIC REBOUND.