On December 6 2024, the Cambodia-China TVET Exchange Forum, a joint endeavor by the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) and the Cambodian Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training (MLVT), was successfully held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Secretary General Shi Zhongjun of the ACC, Secretary of State Laov Him of MLVT, and Minister Counsellor Chang Jian of the Chinese Embassy in Cambodia addressed the event, joined by over 200 delegates and experts from Cambodian and Chinese TVET intuitions and enterprises. 

Shi Zhongjun commended the speedy development of Cambodian society in recent years and the advancement of the China-Cambodia community with a shared future. With the increasingly close trade relations between the two sides and growing investment from China to Cambodia, relevant stakeholders from both sides seek to elevate human resource cooperation. In this regard, the ACC hopes to fully exert its role as the one-stop information and activity platform, carrying out a series of tailored TVET exchanges and cooperation programs. He expected that this event paves the way for tailored cooperation between TVET colleges from the two sides, in areas such as personnel exchanges, capacity building and integrated development of education and industry.

On behalf of Minister Heng Sour, H.E Laov Him expressed MLVT’s appreciation to the ACC for initiating the visit of Chinese TVET colleges to Cambodia, which manifests the great enthusiasm and potential for TVET cooperation of the two sides. He stressed the critical role of TVET in Cambodian national development and expressed the expectation to work more closely with the ACC to further advance the bilateral TVET cooperation in compatible areas. 

Chang Jian stated that the Cambodian government has prioritized the cultivation of human resources in the "Pentagon Strategy", which is highly consistent with the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and the development goals of the ASEAN-China strategic partnership. Strengthening cooperation between China and ASEAN countries, particularly Cambodia, in the field of vocational education will infuse new vitality into promoting regional economic integration and talent flow, and make greater contributions to regional economic prosperity and social progress. 

Representatives from TVET institutions of Cambodia and China held in-depth discussions on development concepts, prospective cooperation demands, joint programs, and personnel exchanges, identifying initial collaboration areas. 

The forum is the last stop of the 2024 ACC TVET Trip to ASEAN series, which aims to set up a platform for TVET from ASEAN Member States (AMS) and China for deeper exchange and exploring cooperation. Apart from the exchanges, the ACC TVET delegation also paid visits to the Regional Center for the Development of Technical Education of Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO TED), the National Polytechnic Institute of Cambodia and the Cambodia-China University of Technology and Science.