Cambodia, China ink deal to set up agricultural promotion center

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia and China on Tuesday signed an agreement to establish a Cambodia-China Agricultural Promotion Centre, aiming at helping Cambodia develop agriculture sustainably. The deal was inked between Ty Sokhun, Cambodian agriculture secretary of state, and Wenwen Luo, chairwoman of Guangxi Forword Agricultural Technology International Cooperation, under the presence of Song Xiaoguo, commercial counselor of the Chinese Embassy to Cambodia. The Guangxi Forword Agricultural Technology International Cooperation is the implementer of the center project. Sokhun said the center will provide not only agricultural theories, but also practical techniques to Cambodian experts and farmers. "It will help develop the agriculture sustainably," he said, adding, "Moreover, it will promote Cambodian agricultural produce to international markets, particularly Chinese ones." Sokhun extended his sincere thanks to the government and people of China for constantly supporting Cambodia for socio-economic development and poverty reduction. Agriculture is one of the four sectors supporting the Cambodian economy. Song Xiaoguo said the center will contribute to developing Cambodian agriculture through increasing planting techniques for experts and farmers and promoting Cambodian products broadly to Chinese markets. Wenwen Luo said, "It is expected that more than 20,000 Cambodian experts and farmers will be trained."