PHNOM PENH, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Friday inaugurated a food industry laboratory with Chinese aid, aiming at assisting food quality improvement, research and technology development, officials said.
The China-Cambodia Food Industry Laboratory is situated in the complex of the Industrial Laboratory Center of Cambodia in Phnom Penh's Russey Keo district.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony, visiting Chinese State Councilor Liu Yandong recalled that during the 14th ASEAN-China Summit in Indonesia in 2011, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao called for the establishment of ASEAN-China Science and Technology Partnership Program, and in September this year, the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology officially began the program in order to promote cooperation and share experiences in scientific and technological development between China and ASEAN.
"The China-Cambodia Food Industry Laboratory is the first lab since the program was launched. It will help to improve food quality and safety in Cambodia," she said.
Liu stressed that China has been giving high attention to promote cooperation in science and technology with ASEAN in general and with Cambodia in particular.
"The lab is not only a testimony of cooperation in science and technology between China and Cambodia, it has also broke new ground for the cooperation between China and ASEAN," Liu said. "I hope that the lab will become a model of cooperation between China and ASEAN."
Cambodia's Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Men Sam An, who presided over the ceremony with Liu, said Cambodia was the first country in ASEAN that began implementing the ASEAN-China Science and Technology Partnership Program since it was launched.
"I believe that the cooperation will help further enhance capacity for Cambodian specialists and private sector on science and technology, especially small and meddle-sized food enterprises, " she said.
"The lab will contribute to enhancing food quality and safety, related research and technology development," she added.
Cambodia's Vice Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy Chea Seang Hong said that the lab was a fruitful result of the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between the his ministry and the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology inked in September this year.
He said that the laboratory's equipment and devices were donated by China with a total value of 465,000 U.S. dollars in the first phase of 3-year cooperation.