Economic and trade cooperation between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has achieved fruitful results over the past decade or so, officials with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said on Wednesday.
Officials from the ministry, speaking at a press conference, said that trade between China and ASEAN had grown at an average annual rate of 7.5 percent since 2013.
China has remained ASEAN's largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years, while ASEAN has remained China's largest trading partner for four consecutive years with the cumulative two-way investment between China and ASEAN countries exceeding 400 billion U.S. dollars by July this year, according to officials.
The officials also said that the 21st China-ASEAN Expo will be held in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from Sept. 24 to 28. The 21st China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit will also be held in Nanning during the period.
China, ASEAN economic cooperation achieves fruitful results: official
A new direct passenger flight route from Ningbo City of east China's Zhejiang Province to Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh opened on Wednesday, which also marked the first international flight out of the city's airport in 2025.
The new flight departs from the Ningbo Lishe International Airport at 13:30 and takes just under four and a half hours to reach the Cambodian capital. Operated by Cambodian airlines, it is scheduled to fly every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with the return flight departing Phnom Penh at 07:40 local time on the same days.
The direct route provides an important travel option for tourists, especially those from Ningbo and the surrounding areas. Pang Cuili, a Ningbo resident who had to transit in Shanghai for a midnight arrival in Phnom Penh, said the new service now offers much greater convenience.
"We'll fly at 13:30 and arrive at around 16:50. It’s very convenient [timing] for us to check into the hotel after arriving," she said.
As the capital and largest city of Cambodia, Phnom Penh has long been an important international aviation hub in Southeast Asia, with the new route giving a further boost to the economic and cultural exchanges between Ningbo and ASEAN countries.
"Today marks the first flight of Ningbo Airport's regular direct passenger service to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The opening of this route is also an important move for the airport to help implement the Belt and Road Initiative, enriching international passenger transport routes, and further speeding up the recovery of the international market," said Chen Qiaoyu, manager of the Market Development Department at the Ningbo Lishe International Airport.
As Cambodia Airlines' first route out of Ningbo Airport, the new service also signals the airline's broader plans to connect various parts of China with Cambodia in the coming year.
Ningbo airport launches first direct flight to Phnom Penh
