China ties 'improve Cambodia livelihoods'

PHNOM PENH－Chinese-funded enterprises have played an important role in improving local people's livelihood in Cambodia, according to the results of a new survey released last week. Entitled "China in Young Eyes", the survey was conducted last year by the Center for Cambodian Studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Research Center of the Royal University of Phnom Penh, with support from China Huaneng Group.

It interviewed a total of 342 Cambodian youths, who are mainly undergraduates and postgraduates from the Royal University of Phnom Penh, the Royal University of Law and Economics, as well as researchers from the Royal Academy of Cambodia and independent think tanks.

The top 10 keywords describing the China-Cambodia relations in the survey are Belt and Road Initiative, Special Economic Zone, Chinese-developed vaccines, Chinese companies, expressways, hydropower stations, investment, Chinese language, "ironclad friends" and job opportunities.