PHNOM PENH, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia secured 4.7 billion U.S. dollars in fixed-asset investment projects during the first half of 2026, according to a Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) press release issued Tuesday.
The CDC approved 276 investment projects between January and June, the press release said, adding that a surge is expected to create approximately 160,000 jobs.
The approved ventures cover a diverse range of industries, including special economic zones, wind, solar, and biomass power plants, an electric vehicle assembly plant, a motorcycle factory, a car tire manufacturing plant, a five-star hotel, and an animal farm.
China remains Cambodia's top foreign investor, accounting for 35.7 percent of the total investment capital, the press release said, adding that other leading sources of foreign direct investment (FDI) include Singapore, Malaysia, the Netherlands, and the British Virgin Islands.
Penn Sovicheat, a secretary of state and spokesperson for the Cambodian Ministry of Commerce, attributed the investment influx to major regional and bilateral trade frameworks.
He said the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and Cambodia's bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) with China, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates serve as critical drivers for foreign capital.
"New investments will bring about new capital, technologies, and job opportunities for our people," he told Xinhua. ■