China-backed highway lifts Cambodia

PHNOM PENH－Connecting the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh and the deep-sea port province of Preah Sihanouk, the Chinese-invested Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway project will not only further boost the economy, but also contribute to producing talent for the country's infrastructure sector.

Invested by China Road and Bridge Corporation, the construction work on the 187-kilometer-long expressway began in June 2019. The $2 billion flagship project is now over 94 percent completed and is scheduled to be open for trial operation in this September.

Nem Sreypov, a testing staff member at the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway's central laboratory, said the job has not only provided her a good salary, but also developed her skills and expertise.

"When I started to work at this laboratory, my impression was that the Chinese experts had taught me how to use every equipment," she said.

"I feel very excited to work at this laboratory in which equipment is new and modern, and its testing capacity is very accurate," she added.

Sreypov, who has been working for the company for more than three years, said Chinese technicians have trained her how to test the quality of concrete, cement and stone, and now, she can do it independently.

"I'm very proud to participate in the construction of this huge Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway project, and I believe that it will greatly contribute to boosting Cambodia's economic development," the worker said.

Seng Makkra, a safety officer at the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway's Section 3, said the job was very useful to further develop his ability, giving him a chance to learn new technologies and methods in infrastructure development.

"I love this job very much because it gives me an opportunity to improve my knowledge and skills, and I'm confident that after this project is completed, I will be able to help build other transport infrastructure projects in Cambodia in the future," he said.

Makkra, 38, who has been working for the company since 2019, said as infrastructure development demands high expertise and technologies, China Road and Bridge Corporation has greatly helped develop human resources for Cambodia in this sector.

Hu Zhaoguang, general manager of the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway project office, said the company provided jobs for local people based on the idea of "both giving them fish and teaching them how to fish".

"Meanwhile, we also focus on passing the skills to them and scale up their ability to improve their lives through work," he said.

Hu said the company also put priorities on fulfilling social responsibilities and improving local people's livelihoods.

"Since the start of the project, we have assisted 22 households in need, and the number of localized workers for the entire project has reached more than 3,200," he said.

Xinhua