Working in an office with air conditioning all day is rare—you are much more likely to be breathing in motorcycle exhaust on the street from morning till night. A few days ago, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and First Vice Chairman of the Council for Development of Cambodia Sun Chanthol met with Bai Dongsheng, chairman of the Henan Airport Group from China. Put simply, the local government wants to persuade these aviation heavyweights to launch more direct flights and partner with Cambodia Airways to boost travel and tourism between the two sides.
But these visitors from Henan are not only looking at the skies. According to local media, the major state-owned enterprise is eyeing three specific sectors here: first, water supply and wastewater treatment; second, renewable energy like solar power; and third, smart agriculture infused with a bit of artificial intelligence. Every single one of these hits right at the heart of Cambodia's urgent infrastructure and livelihood needs.
After hearing these plans, the Deputy Prime Minister voiced his full support on the spot. The Council for Development of Cambodia also made it clear that they will closely monitor the follow-up coordination and cooperation to ensure these investment projects actually take root on the ground and in the factories. For those of us sipping tea and reading the papers, we will just have to wait and see if these upcoming flights and new projects can bring some real momentum to the local economy.
