Cambodia says China-proposed "maritime silk road" to benefit ASEAN

 Cambodia says China-proposed "maritime silk road" to benefit ASEAN

Xinhua | 16 September 2014

PHNOM PENH -- The China-proposed "21st Century Maritime Silk Road" will benefit the Southeast Asian nations in term of economy, a senior Cambodian official said Tuesday.

"China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) see economic cooperation as a top priority, so it is necessary to build a maritime silk road in order to bolster economic cooperation, particularly in the fields of trade, investment and tourism," Kao Kim Hourn, minister attached to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, told reporters after returning from attending the 11th ASEAN-China Expo in China's Nanning City with Prime Minister Hun Sen.

He said when it comes to a reality, the initiative will benefit all countries involved. "ASEAN countries have voiced their support to China for the ' maritime silk road' initiative," he said.

The initiative of the "21st Century Maritime Silk Road" was proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to Southeast Asia in 2013.