PHNOM PENH, Aug. 5 (FN) — Cambodia's National Assembly president Samdech Heng Samrin on Friday inaugurated the building of the Cambodia-China Friendship Association here and encouraged the association to work more active to boost Cambodia-China ties.

"This is a historical milestone that the Cambodia-China Friendship Association has its own building since it was established more than a decade ago," he said during the inauguration ceremony.

He expressed profound thanks to generous Chinese and Cambodian people for donating money for the construction of the two-storey building.

"I'm confident that the association will work more active to further strengthen and expand the long-standing friendship relations and good cooperation between Cambodia and China," he said.

Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Bu Jianguo appreciated the association for its active contributions to promoting China-Cambodia relations, particularly through cultural exchange, people-to-people and youth-to-youth connectivity, and education.

"These activities have importantly contributed to strengthening and expanding traditional friendship relations and good cooperation between China and Cambodia for mutual benefits," she said.

"The new building is another important symbol of solid China-Cambodia relations," she said.

Meanwhile, the Chinese embassy also donated another 200,000 Chinese yuan (about 30,000 U.S. dollars) to the association.

Built on a 270-square-meter parcel in the complex of the Senate, the two-storey building took 10 months to be constructed at the cost of 340,000 U.S. dollars, said Ek Sam Ol, president of the Cambodia-China Friendship Association.

He said the budget for the construction was donated by Chinese Embassy to Cambodia, Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and Chinese community in Cambodia as well as Cambodian people.