PHNOM PENH, March 11 (Xinhua) -- The export value from the enterprises in the Sihanoukville Special Economy Zone (SSEZ) in Cambodia had increased by 20.5 percent during the January-February period this year, compared to the same period last year, the zone's operator said on Wednesday.

Jointly ventured by Chinese and Cambodian investors, the SSEZ is a flagship project under China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

In its news release, the SSEZ operator said the electricity consumption of enterprises in the zone rose by 19 percent year on year, demonstrating a continued surge in development and expansion.

"These impressive results truly reflect the SSEZ's continuous efforts to promote industrial upgrading as well as the core strength of enterprises within the zone in achieving robust production and sales," the press release said.

"This strong resilience and vitality have also injected new momentum into the construction of Cambodia's Industrial Development Corridor," it added.

In recent years, the SSEZ has proactively planned and steadily improved its infrastructure, including water, electricity and steam, as well as urban supporting services such as commerce, housing, education and healthcare.

"This has continuously enhanced its industrial capacity, optimized its business environment to attract, retain and promote sustainable development, and vigorously promoted the optimization and upgrading of its industrial structure, focusing on the development of the automotive manufacturing and parts, new energy components and machinery processing, and power equipment supply chains," the press release said.

To date, the SSEZ has successfully attracted a total of 217 international companies and institutions, creating 35,000 jobs for local people and becoming a powerful driving force for Cambodia's Industrial Development Corridor initiative, it added.

Thong Mengdavid, deputy director of the China-ASEAN Studies Center of the Cambodia University of Technology and Science, said the figure emphasized the zone's rise as Cambodia's most advanced and globally connected industrial hub.

"The strong trade performance points to robust investors' confidence and high operational efficiency," he told Xinhua.

Established in 2008, the 11-square-km SSEZ is situated near the deep-water Sihanoukville Autonomous Port in the southwestern coastal province of Preah Sihanouk. ■