Xi calls for advancing China-Cambodia community with a shared future

BEIJING, June 26 — China is willing to work with Cambodia to jointly safeguard peace, seek development and promote prosperity, and make solid progress in building a China-Cambodia community with a shared future, thereby setting a fine example for promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday.

Xi made the remarks during his meeting with Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) Chairman and Senate Speaker Samdech Techo Hun Sen in Beijing.

Xi congratulated the CPP on its 75th founding anniversary, expressing hope that Cambodia will achieve new achievements in national construction and rejuvenation under the leadership of the CPP.

Xi said the two countries have continuously strengthened mutual trust and deepened cooperation in various fields since his state visit to Cambodia in April last year, adding that the traditional friendship between the two countries is taking on new significance in the zeitgeist.

China has always regarded Cambodia as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy, Xi said, adding that China firmly supports Cambodia in safeguarding national sovereignty and security and pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions.

Noting that at present, international and regional situations are undergoing complex and profound changes, Xi said China and Cambodia should join forces to demonstrate a sense of responsibility, uphold law and justice in the face of turbulence, and inject more stability into regional peace and development.

Xi called on China and Cambodia to consolidate the foundation of strategic mutual trust, noting that the two sides should draw strength from history and make new progress to push mutual trust to a higher level. China is willing to deepen bilateral exchanges between political parties, strengthen exchanges of experience in party and state governance, and jointly strengthen party governance capabilities, Xi said.

Xi noted that China and Cambodia should follow the path of steady development and revitalization, calling on the two sides to promote substantial progress in the industrial development corridor and the fish and rice corridor. It is imperative to fully unleash the potential of the China-Cambodia Free Trade Agreement and ensure that the results of practical cooperation will further benefit people’s livelihoods, Xi said.

Stressing the importance of maintaining long-term peace and stability in their respective countries, Xi said China is willing to establish a security partnership with Cambodia and work with the latter to make sustained efforts to eradicate the chronic problem of telecom fraud.

Regarding building a strategic cooperation model, Xi expressed China’s appreciation to Cambodia for adhering to the one-China principle and taking the initiative to support major ideas and initiatives proposed by China.

China is ready to strengthen coordination and cooperation with Cambodia to better uphold the fundamentals of regional good neighborliness and the overall direction of win-win cooperation, Xi added.

For his part, Hun Sen praised China for its remarkable development achievements which have attracted worldwide attention. He also thanked China for supporting the Cambodian government and the CPP in choosing a development path suited to its national conditions, as well as supporting Cambodia’s economic and social progress and safeguarding its core national interests.

No matter how the international situation develops, Cambodia remains faithful to its friendship with China, upholds the one-China principle, and resolutely supports all efforts by China to achieve complete national reunification and oppose any form of separatist “Taiwan independence” acts, Hun Sen said.

He said Cambodia is willing to further align the Pentagon strategy with the Belt and Road Initiative with China and deepen cooperation in areas such as economy, security, national defense and people-to-people exchanges, among others, adding that Cambodia is also willing to closely cooperate with China in enforcing laws against telecommunications fraud.

Cambodia is ready to jointly act on the four major global initiatives proposed by President Xi and make positive contributions to the peace and prosperity of the region and the world, Hun Sen said.

The Cambodian side is willing to work with the Chinese side to implement the new memorandum of understanding on exchanges and cooperation between the two sides and contribute to building a Cambodia-China community with a shared future, Hun Sen added.