Phou Sambath, head of the International Business Management Department at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, highlighted that free trade fosters opportunity, openness, and a shared future. He illustrated this by recounting a Cambodian folk tale about an Indian nobleman who sailed to what is now Cambodia in search of trade, ultimately establishing the Funan Kingdom, one of Southeast Asia's earliest kingdoms. This story underscores the region's long-standing tradition of free trade. Today, this tradition is being revitalized through enhanced connectivity. Phou noted that future railway links could connect China with more Indochina Peninsula countries, strengthening their integration into China's trade network and facilitating the free flow of goods across the region.
Phou made these remarks at a symposium co-organized by the International Business School of Beijing Foreign Studies University and China Daily Opinion Channel in Beijing on Oct 30.
