Chinese-funded Cambodian airport opens to traffic

The Chinese-invested Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport in Cambodia was put into commercial operation on Monday and is expected to become a major gateway to the world-renowned temples of Angkor. The airport is the first overseas international airport delivered under the Build-Operate-Transfer model by Chinese enterprises. It has been invested in by an affiliate of China's Yunnan Investment Holdings and is operated and managed by Yunnan Aviation Industry Investment Group. The airport opened as China and Cambodia celebrate 65 years of diplomatic relations and China welcomes the 10th anniversary of the inception of the Belt and Road Initiative. "The airport is expected to help promote Cambodia's economic growth and social development. The completion of the airport has been an achievement of Cambodia's national development strategy and the BRI, which bears a demonstrative significance," said Yang Danzhi, a senior researcher of national security at Renmin University of China. The first flight to arrive at the airport was operated by Bangkok Airways and departed from Bangkok.<br/>