Cambodia & Solidarity: GX Foundation Charity Dinner (Hong Kong)

The GX Foundation Khmer Cuisine Charity Dinner was held on 3 December 2024 in Kampong Speu to raise funds for medical aid projects in Cambodia and to celebrate the Year of People-to-People Exchanges between China and the Kingdom.

The event hosted 27 tables and was attended by the President of the Foundation, Mr LEUNG Chun-ying, the Cambodian Minister of Tourism, H.E. HUOT Hak, the Secretaries of State of the Kingdom's Ministry of Health, Dr SUNG Vinntak, the Deputy Commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong, Mr LI Yong-sheng, the Consul General of Cambodia in Hong Kong, Mr YOS Sok. SUNG Vinntak, the Deputy Commissioner of the Commissioner's Office of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong, Mr LI Yong-sheng, the Consul General of Cambodia in Hong Kong, Mr YOS Sokhemrin and finally the famous chef Luu Meng, who was behind the organisation of this charity dinner.

Authentique cuisine khmère au menu

The dinner was attended by more than 300 prominent business leaders and foundation partners, with renowned Hong Kong entertainer Ms CHAN Pui-yee Janis as master of ceremonies. The evening also featured a charity sale of Ningxia red wine, with proceeds going directly to GX's medical aid projects in Cambodia. These initiatives include free cataract operations and dengue fever prevention for the underprivileged.

Speaking at the event, GX Chairman LEUNG Chun-ying said:

“The GX team and I are building strong relationships in Cambodia, as we do elsewhere, with government officials, medical staff, patients and their families.”

“Street vendors in the markets generally refuse to receive financial compensation from our Guangxi doctors and nurses, and villagers quietly leave their agricultural produce on bicycles parked outside our neighbourhoods.”

Food has become a popular form of compensation for GX teams stationed in Cambodia, symbolising the gratitude and warmth of the local community. As a result, Khmer cuisine was not only the highlight of the evening, it also served as a bridge for cultural exchange between China and Cambodia, offering guests an immersive experience of Cambodian cultural characteristics.

The dinner brought together more than 300 leading business leaders and partners of the foundation, with the famous Hong Kong presenter, Ms CHAN Pui-yee Janis, as master of ceremonies

The dinner was organised by Mr Luu Meng, advisor to the GX project in Cambodia and a well-known Cambodian chef. To present the most authentic Khmer dishes, Mr Luu travelled extensively throughout Cambodia to discover traditional recipes that had almost been lost. These classic dishes shone brightly at the dinner, embodying the unique charm of Khmer cuisine in all its aspects. In his speech, Luu Meng emphasised:

“Thank you for inviting me to attend the GX Foundation's Khmer Cuisine Charity Dinner. It was a wonderful opportunity to share our Khmer cuisine and heritage with such a distinguished audience, while supporting vital medical aid projects in Cambodia.”

“The evening was a real celebration of our culture and of the strong links that are forming between Cambodia and Hong Kong-China. I had the honour of creating a menu that showcased the rich flavours and traditional recipes of Khmer cuisine. Travelling across Cambodia to discover almost lost recipes was a labour of love, and it was incredibly gratifying to see these dishes enjoyed by so many eminent business leaders and supporters of the GX Foundation.

I was particularly moved by the sentiments expressed by the Chairman of GX, His Excellency Mr LEUNG Chun-ying, regarding the links established with local communities. It is heartening to know that food serves as a bridge of gratitude and warmth between our nations. Supporting initiatives such as free cataract operations and dengue fever prevention shows a real commitment to improving living conditions, and I am proud to contribute to this cause through our culinary heritage”.

The dinner was hosted by Mr Luu Meng, advisor to the GX project in Cambodia and a well-known Cambodian chef

The dinner played an important role in deepening cultural exchanges and cooperation between the two nations. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr LI Yong-sheng, pointed out that ‘through its medical aid and public health assistance work in Cambodia, the GX Foundation has strongly promoted people-to-people connectivity, strengthened friendship between our nations, demonstrated the warmth of the Belt and Road Initiative, highlighted China's commitment and underlined Hong Kong's contributions’.

the Chairman of the Foundation, Mr LEUNG Chun-ying

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GX Foundation is a Chinese humanitarian medical aid charity established in Hong Kong in 2018. It aims to provide international medical and public health humanitarian assistance in the Belt and Road countries, embodying the spirit of ‘people-to-people’ connectivity.

The Foundation has already signed Memoranda of Understanding with 5 countries, aiming to provide free sight-restoring surgery to 37,500 patients in Laos, Cambodia, Djibouti, Senegal and Mauritania from 2022 to 2027, and to eliminate the backlog of cataract blindness.

In 2024, Timor-Leste became the inaugural GX Foundation country to launch a programme targeting vector-borne diseases. It is also the Foundation's sixth project country.

In addition to cataract surgery, GX's global objective also includes other humanitarian assistance programmes in the field of public health, such as the fight against vector-borne diseases, health disaster risk management, international partnerships and the transfer of knowledge within communities.

The Board of Directors is made up of 20 leading figures from mainland China and Hong Kong, and is chaired by Mr LEUNG Chun-ying, Vice-Chairman of the CPPCC National Committee.

https://gxfoundation.hk/home