BATTAMBANG - China will continue to help Cambodia with its infrastructure and raise living standard of its people, said Pan Guangxue, Chinese ambassador to Cambodia here Monday.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of Cambodia's 57 national road Battambang-Pailing section in Battambang, Pan said "The completion of the road will help elevate the country's regional economic development, especially in terms of agricultural product export, and also heighten the local people's living standard."

He noted that the 103-kilometer road, which links Battambang with Pailing on the borders with Thailand is seen as one of the traffic arteries in the kingdom's northwestern region.

The populous Battambang province, some 280 kilometers northwest of the capital city of Phnom Penh, is a major rice and fruit producer in the kingdom, better transport facilities will make farm products from the area more readily available to neighboring countries, including China, the ambassador said.

On behalf of the Cambodian government and Prime Minister Hun Sen, Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sar Kheng expressed gratitude to China's assistance in the kingdom's infrastructure construction.

The Cambodian government has given high priority to infrastructure construction, including road, electricity, and irritation facilities, in a bid to promote regional economic development and people's living standard, he said.

"The completion of the No. 57 national road with China's assistance will surely upgrade the transportation and communication with neighboring nations and reduce the local people's transport costs," he added.  

Started in November 2008, the construction of 103-km road is financed by the Export-Import Bank of China and undertaken by China Road and Bridge Corporation.