PHNOM PENH, April 10 -- China and Cambodia signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on information cooperation here on Monday.

The deal was inked between Cambodian Information Minister Khieu Kanharith and Jiang Jianguo, chief of China's State Council Information Office.

Kanharith said information sector currently plays a vital role in promoting politics, economy, trade, investment, tourism, culture, and people-to-people relations.

"The MoU will lay a solid foundation for the two countries to broaden bilateral cooperation in information sector," he said.

Under the MoU, both sides will exchange visits between information officials and the Chinese side will offer scholarships to Cambodian journalists to study in China.

"I'm confident that our bilateral cooperation in information sector will contribute further to enhancing ties and cooperation between China and Cambodia," Jiang said.

In Cambodia, there are some 22 television channels, 812 newspapers, news bulletins and magazines, and 72 news websites as well as 334 radio stations, according to the Information Ministry.