KAMPONG CHHNANG, Cambodia — For Dul Sarath, a 34-year-old vegetable grower in central Cambodia's Kampong Tralach district, a China-funded rural road project has made travel and the transport of produce from farms to town markets easier, saving both time and money.

The mother of four said previously, due to poorly maintained rural roads, she spent three hours shipping vegetables from her farm to the markets in the provincial town about 37 kilometers away but now with the China-funded rural road project, the travel time is shortened to an hour.

"Previously, traveling on this road was very difficult and when there was rain, it was very muddy," she told Xinhua News Agency after attending an event to mark the completion of the China-funded rural road project in the Southeast Asian nation.

"Now, traveling on this road is fast, not difficult like before, so villagers go to town markets more easily and it's more convenient for them to bring vegetables to sell in the markets," she said.

Sarath said the new road could be a lifeline route as it has also enabled patients to travel quickly and easily to hospitals.

"Previously, no ambulances would come here. Patients were transported by motorbikes, ox-carts, motorized rickshaws or trucks, and it was really difficult for them to reach medical facilities, but now it is no longer difficult," she said.

Un Theam, a 34-year-old grocer, also echoed Sarath's remarks, saying that commuting on the new road is much faster than before, saving both gasoline and time.

"With this new road, farmers transport their agricultural products such as vegetables or other goods to markets easily," she told Xinhua.

Rice farmer Phan Ngoeu, 70, expressed his gratitude to China for funding the project, saying that the road is necessary to help improve the livelihoods of rural people in Cambodia.

"Villagers have benefited a lot, saving them both fuel and labor, reducing travel time," he told Xinhua. "For example, previously, we spent the whole day traveling to some places, but now we need only two hours."

According to Cambodia's Ministry of Rural Development, from 2017 to October 2022, under the China-funded Rural Road Improvement projects, in Phases I and II, at least 25 rural roads had been constructed with a total length of 155 km and two new bridges in eight provinces.

Cambodian Minister of Rural Development Ouk Rabun said the roads are a new achievement for Cambodia under the Belt and Road Initiative cooperation with China, adding that the roads are necessary to boost the rural economy and quality of life.

"China has provided a large grant to Cambodia for rural roads and clean water development, and China's aid to Cambodia has no strings attached," he said at a ceremony to mark the completion of the second phase project.

"This truly reflects China's commitment and efforts in helping improve the livelihoods and well-being of the rural people in Cambodia," he added.

Rabun was confident that the new roads will help improve rural residents' living conditions, reduce poverty and boost rural economic development, as well as narrow the development gap between urban and rural areas.

"These new roads will undoubtedly contribute to facilitating travel and the transport of agricultural products from farms to markets," he said.

Wu Guoquan, economic and commercial counselor of the Chinese embassy in Cambodia, said that he was pleased to see the new roads in Cambodia's rural areas, which truly reflect the kingdom's rapid development.

"This project will not only promote a sense of closeness, but also nourish the towering tree of friendship between China and Cambodia," he said at the ceremony.

Wu said the roads are just one of the numerous China-aided projects that have been designed to help boost socioeconomic development and poverty reduction in Cambodia's rural areas.

"I believe that this project will contribute to further building a community with a shared future between China and Cambodia," he said.