PHNOM PENH: With a combined capital of US$16.3 million, four new investment projects have been registered to the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone (SSEZ) in Preah Sihanouk province and the Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone (PPSEZ) in the capital of Phnom Penh.

According to a press release issued by the Cambodian Development Council (CDC), the four projects recently approved by the CDC's Cambodian Special Economic Zone Board will focus on the manufacturing of plywood, plastic bags, paper products, and printing and packaging products.

The first three projects will be located in the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone, with the final one in the Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone and the approved projects are expected to create 740 jobs for locals.

Simultaneous investment in SSEZ and PPSEZ indicates that the economy is humming along, and the expressway connecting Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville has recently opened between the two economic zones.

The Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway is a history that exemplifies Cambodian-Chinese friendship and is a component of China's One Belt, One Road initiative. The 190-kilometer road cost up to 2,000 million US dollars to construct, which is extremely expensive in comparison to other highways in Cambodia.