• Society

China’s Wang Yi to Hand Over National Stadium

• By Romdoul Chetra
• September 9, 2021 9:33 AM

Arena is a gift to Cambodia from Beijing

PHNOM PENH -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will officially hand over the main stadium of Morodok Techo National Stadium to Cambodia during his visit to the country on Sunday. 

Vat Chamroeun, secretary-general of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia, said Prime Minister Hun Sen will preside over the ceremony.

Construction of the stadium began in April 2017. It covers more than 16 hectares and is estimated to have cost about $150 million.

“This is a package which is granted by the President of China as a gift for Cambodia in its upcoming Southeast Asian Games (SEA) of 2023,” Chamroeun said during an interview with Cambodianess in May.

The stadium has a capacity of 60,000 with a design that would allow a full evacuation in seven minutes in the event of an accident.

Wang’s regional tour

Cambodia is one of four regional countries on a tour by Wang Yi. He will start on September 10 in Vietnam and will take in Singapore and South Korea.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said the trip is at the invitation of foreign ministers of the four countries.

It aims to bolster relations between China and the four while seeking to enhance anti-epidemic efforts and deepen cooperation under China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

“The visits by State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi fully embody the great emphasis China attaches to and its sincere hope of enhancing friendly relations and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation with the four countries,” Wang Wenbin said.

Wang Yi’s last visit to Cambodia was in October 2020 during which he witnessed the signing of the Cambodia-China Free Trade Agreement.  However, there has been no detailed information about his upcoming visit. 

Koy Koung, spokesperson at Cambodia’s Foreign Ministry, declined to comment and asked to wait for the official press statement.