PHNOM PENH, Sept. 19 (FN) — Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on Monday thanked China for agreeing to double rice import quota, saying the quota increase clearly reflected China's intention to helping Cambodia.

Speaking to more than 1,300 graduates at the Panha Chiet University here, Hun Sen said at his request, China has recently agreed to increase its rice imports from Cambodia to 200,000 tons for the harvest season 2016-2017, from 100,000 tons.

"The quota increase does not mean that China lacks rice, China has a huge amount of paddy rice in stock, but China wants to help Cambodia because of our good relationship," he said.

China is currently the largest importer of Cambodian milled rice, according to a Cambodian report. During the first eight months of 2016, China had purchased some 52,216 tons of milled rice from Cambodia.

Cambodian Commerce Minister Pan Sorasak said on Friday that a Memorandum of Understanding on the revised rice quota between Cambodia and China would be signed next month.