Tourists line up for stepping up Angkor Wat temple outside Siem Reap, Cambodia,  Dec 31, 2017. (PHOTO/AP）

PREAH SIHANOUK, Cambodia - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said on Tuesday that the Southeast Asian country is keen to see the return of more Chinese tourists, noting that the kingdom is a safe tourist destination.

Speaking to thousands of garment factory workers at a Chinese-invested special economic zone in the southwestern Preah Sihanouk province, Hun Manet also called on more Chinese investors to come and invest in Cambodia.

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Cambodia received 2.36 million Chinese tourists in 2019, accounting for 35.7 percent of the total international tourist arrivals and generating about $1.8 billion in revenue, according to the Ministry of Tourism

He said both Chinese tourists and investors have importantly contributed to the country's socioeconomic development and job creation for the Cambodian people.

"Cambodia is safe, and tourists can travel everywhere freely," he said.

China was the biggest source of international tourists to Cambodia in the pre-COVID-19 pandemic era.

The kingdom received 2.36 million Chinese tourists in 2019, accounting for 35.7 percent of the total international tourist arrivals and generating about $1.8 billion in revenue, according to the Ministry of Tourism.

It received 405,514 Chinese visitors during the January-September period this year, a year-on-year increase of 549 percent.

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Ministry of Tourism's Secretary of State and spokesperson Top Sopheak said Chinese tourists are warmly welcomed to Cambodia, adding that the government has always prioritized security and safety for all tourists.

"I want to send a message to all Chinese citizens that please come and visit Cambodia, a safe tourist destination," he told Xinhua.