Chinese FM's visit to Cambodia injects fresh impetus into building community with shared future in new era: experts

PHNOM PENH, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's official visit to Cambodia has injected new impetus into building a high-quality, high-level, and high-standard China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era, Cambodian experts said on Tuesday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, concluded his three-day visit to the Southeast Asian country on Tuesday after meeting with Cambodian top leaders and co-chairing the seventh meeting of the China-Cambodia Intergovernmental Coordination Committee.

Pov Sok, an advisor to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, said Wang's visit has elevated the China-Cambodia ties to new highs, undoubtedly.

"His visit has not only given fresh impetus to the building of a high-quality, high-level and high-standard China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era, but also further expanded all-round cooperation between the two countries," he told Xinhua.

"His trip has brought broader cooperation between the two countries in the areas of economy, trade, investment, agriculture, tourism and culture, among others," he said.

Pov Sok added that Wang's visit has also enriched the Diamond Hexagon cooperation framework, and made positive progress in building the Industrial Development Corridor as well as the Fish and Rice Corridor, benefiting the two countries and peoples.

Joseph Matthews, a senior professor at the BELTEI International University in Phnom Penh, said Wang's visit has added new momentum to the strategic ties between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

"Wang's visit has importantly contributed to promoting China-Cambodia ties and cooperation, enhancing mutual understanding and strategic trust, and advancing the building of a high-quality, high-level and high-standard community with a shared future in the new era," he told Xinhua.

"Also, his visit has further expanded bilateral cooperation between Cambodia and China, particularly under the frameworks of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Diamond Hexagon cooperation," he said.

Matthews said close Cambodia-China ties have significantly contributed to maintaining peace, security, stability, development, and prosperity in the ASEAN region and beyond.

According to a joint statement released at the end of Wang's visit to Cambodia, during the visit, Wang met with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister Hun Manet, and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sok Chenda Sophea, and co-chaired the seventh meeting of the China-Cambodia Intergovernmental Coordination Committee with Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol.

Cambodia and China are ironclad friends that stand by each other and help each other in times of difficulty, the statement said.

The two countries agreed to jointly promote free, open, equal, inclusive and universally beneficial multilateralism and economic globalization.

The Chinese side reiterated support for Cambodia's choice of development path that suits the Cambodian national conditions, support for Cambodia's efforts to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, and firm opposition to external interference in Cambodia's internal affairs, the statement said.

The Cambodian side reaffirmed its commitment to the one-China policy, adding that Cambodia opposes any attempt to use the Taiwan question to interfere in China's internal affairs, opposes any form of "Taiwan independence," firmly supports all China's efforts to achieve national reunification, and will not develop any form of official relations with Taiwan.

Both sides also agreed to deepen synergy between the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Cambodia's Pentagonal Strategy-Phase I, expedite the formulation of cooperation plan for the Industrial Development Corridor, advance the preliminary planning and design of the Cambodia-China Railway, and deliver on the Chinese agricultural demonstration center and other early harvest projects of the Fish and Rice Corridor.

The two sides will work to ensure high-quality implementation of the China-Cambodia Free Trade Agreement, promote the export of Cambodian agricultural products to China, and encourage more Chinese businesses to invest in Cambodia.

Both sides also agreed to take the opportunity of the 2024 China-Cambodia People-to-People Exchange Year to increase tourism exchanges, two-way flights, and exchanges between youths, localities and friendship groups, according to the statement.