Cambodia awarded seven Chinese medical experts with friendship medals during a ceremony held at the Cambodian embassy in Beijing on Friday.

The Chinese medical experts arrived in Cambodia on March 23, 2020, becoming the first batch sent to an ASEAN country by Beijing. Staying in the Southeast Asian nation for 15 days, they helped the nation in its battle against COVID-19.

The seven-member team joined local experts to visit hospitals, communities, companies and military camps. They evaluated the situation of the virus, offering training and China's experience on epidemic prevention and control.

"China and Cambodia have helped each other during the pandemic. At the early stages of the outbreak in Cambodia, our Chinese friends sent us materials and a medical team. The experts are here today," said Khek Sysoda, Cambodian ambassador to China, in an address during the ceremony. 

Sysoda added: "Your work has won high praise from the Cambodian people. So our government decided to award you the Medal of Friendship and Cooperation."

Cambodian Prime Minister Hung Sen came to China on February 5, 2020 to lend support to China when the epidemic was at its most serious phase in the country.

Cambodia donated masks when China suffered a shortage of supplies. Then China repaid the favor, providing even more.

"In China we have a proverb, the 'grace of dripping water should be reciprocated by a gushing spring.' When Cambodia was struck by the pandemic, we donated medical supplies, vaccines and helped it set up nucleic acid testing labs." said Wang Jianjun, Party Committee Member of China's National Health Commission.

Wang added: "We shared our experience of control and also sent a team of medical experts."

The Cambodian ambassador said the work of the seven Chinese medical experts had strengthened the long standing friendship between the two countries, setting an example across the world for joint efforts to fight the pandemic.

She said China has sent more than five million doses of coronavirus vaccines to Cambodia, with more doses to arrive in the country this month.