Company eyes sweet blueprint through Cambodian connection

Hengfu Group Sugar Industry Co Ltd, a major sugar manufacturer in Zhanjiang, has seen its international trade spike in recent years, thanks to Belt and Road Initiative.

The company began operations at a new production facility earlier this year in Preah Vihear, Cambodia, said its director, Liu Feng.

Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen said the sugar production facility has created more than 7,000 jobs for local residents, while the entire project will create over 14,000 jobs for Cambodians.

Covering an area of 120 square kilometers, the sugar production facility has a total investment of more than $360 million, and will produce more than 360,000 tons of sugar a year.

"The project will help build Cambodia, which produced less than 30,000 tons of sugar last year, from a country that has to import sugar into a nation which exports its sugar," Liu said.

The project is also the largest Chinese sugar production facility in Cambodia.

In the second and third stages of the project, the company has planned to invest more than $1 billion to construct a modern agricultural development zone that will cover an area of 180,000 hectares.

In its entirety, the project will result in the annual production of more than 1.08 million tons of sugar.

In addition to production facilities, other amenities including modern commercial streets, sports venues, apartments, parks, hospitals and schools will also be constructed to meet the growing demand from industrial and economic development, Liu said.

The project will help create substantial employment opportunities for Cambodian citizens, said Liu. Liu said he believed the company's Cambodia project has great development potential and he expressed his hope that the project would help further advance cooperation between China and its good neighbor, Cambodia.

To accommodate future development plans, the company has been granted land covering an area of 424.22 square kilometers.

Meanwhile, Guangdong Hengfu will seek opportunities to expand its investment in Cambodia's infrastructural facilities, as well as its energy, telecommunications, financial, cultural and modern service sectors in the coming years, Liu said.

Liu added that the company will work to support the development of Cambodia's education and public health systems, as well as industries that impact on people's livelihood.