Cambodia's Special Economic Zone: Decade of remarkable transformation under BRI

Moreover, the introduction of international enterprises has also greatly boosted local employment and improved the living standards of the residents. The number of employees in the zone has grown from 9,000 in 2013, with an average monthly income of approximately $110, to nearly 30,000 employees in 2023, each earning more than $300 per month. Employee satisfaction has steadily risen, earning the special zone the title of an "engine" of local economic development and a source of stable income for Cambodian people.

"Thanks to SSEZ, our villagers now enjoy a higher standard of living. Previously, most families had only one motorcycle or none at all. But now, some families own two or three motorcycles, and some even have cars," said the governor of an SSEZ surrounding village. "This is because more and more people work for SSEZ companies and now, their incomes are improved significantly."

Pushed forward by both sides, the special economic zone also serves as a bridge for bilateral exchanges and cooperation in various fields such as healthcare, education, and culture between Sihanoukville province and Jiangsu province, said Chen Jiangang, chairman of Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone Co Ltd.

Since 2015, the Jiangsu provincial government has dispatched medical teams to Sihanoukville six times to provide free medical examinations for nearly 8,300 local patients. In 2017, the Wuxi government, Sihanoukville provincial health department and SSEZ jointly established a health service center to provide high-quality and convenient medical services for employees within the zone and the surrounding villagers. In the same year, a direct flight between Wuxi and Sihanoukville was launched. In 2022, the China-Cambodia "Silk Road E-commerce" cooperation project was implemented, promoting Cambodian specialties like cashews and dried mangoes to the Chinese market. A series of "small but beneficial" projects of such kinds have been gradually implemented, promoting close connections between the two sides, Chen said.

Against the backdrop of a China-Cambodia community with a shared future, and with new missions for mutual development, SSEZ, as an essential cooperative project between the two nations, will continue to forge ahead. It will actively integrate into Cambodia's development, serve as an exemplary industrial model, and strive to become a key industrial hub and an economic engine for Cambodia, he added.

lijiaying@chinadaily.com.cn