Phnom Penh, June 28, 2025 — Chinese state-owned investment giant Wuxi Guolian Group has expressed strong interest in investing in the processing of agricultural products within the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone (SSEZ), with the aim of boosting exports to China and strengthening bilateral economic cooperation.
The announcement came during a high-level meeting on June 27 between Hua Xiao Feng, Vice-Chairman of Wuxi Guolian Group, and Chea Vuthy, Secretary-General of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC), held at the CDC headquarters in Phnom Penh.
Hua thanked the CDC for its longstanding support to investors from Jiangsu Province and acknowledged the value of the government’s strategic guidance. He introduced Wuxi Guolian Group as a diversified enterprise with over 100 years of history, operating across sectors such as finance, stock markets, green energy, manufacturing, hospitality, and infrastructure, including airports and subway systems.
“Wuxi Guolian Group is committed to contributing to the growth of the Sihanoukville SEZ and aims to promote agricultural product processing for export to China,” Hua stated. “We hope the Cambodian government continues supporting investors from Wuxi and the SSEZ as a whole.”
Chea Vuthy welcomed the initiative and emphasized the Cambodian government’s focus on enhancing its investment environment, particularly through the development of key economic corridors. He cited the “Industrial and Technology Corridor” and the “Fish and Rice Corridor” as two strategic initiatives designed to attract foreign investment and add value to the domestic economy.
“We encourage Chinese enterprises to invest in the production of raw materials and semi-finished goods in Cambodia to strengthen supply chain resilience and increase local value addition,” Vuthy noted. “I am confident that Wuxi Guolian Group will continue encouraging investment from Wuxi in Cambodia, especially in the SSEZ.”
He also praised Wuxi City’s proactive efforts in mobilizing its business community to explore opportunities in Cambodia and thanked the Chinese side for its role in fostering Cambodia-China economic cooperation.
Lim Heng, Vice-President of the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce, underscored the pivotal role that Chinese investors have played in Cambodia’s economic development over the past decade. He said China has invested across nearly all sectors — including agriculture, manufacturing, agro-industry, real estate, and services.
“Chinese investment has helped generate employment, raise household incomes, and transform Cambodia into a stronger exporter to global markets,” Lim added. “Beyond capital, China has also supported Cambodia’s industrial base by supplying raw materials and semi-finished products for further processing.”
According to CDC data, China accounted for 49.82% of all approved investment projects in 2024, reflecting its status as Cambodia’s largest investor.
Bilateral trade between the two countries reached $15.19 billion in 2024, a 23.8% increase from the previous year. Of this, Cambodian exports to China stood at $1.75 billion (up 18.4%), while imports from China reached $13.44 billion (up 24.6%).
The growing engagement of Wuxi Guolian Group is seen as a key step toward deepening the integration of Cambodia into regional value chains, particularly in agro-processing, and enhancing the role of the Sihanoukville SEZ as a critical logistics and manufacturing hub for Southeast Asia.
