Cambodian, Chinese Top Leaders Agree to Expand Existing Cooperation

date_range 19-Oct-2023
visibility 8

Phnom Penh, October 19, 2023 --

Cambodia and China will strengthen and expand their existing cooperation, already at a high and comprehensive level, especially by promoting the implementation of diamond cooperation and the establishment of a “Fish and Rice Corridor” and an “Industrial and Technological Corridor.”

This was the spirit of the meeting between Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, and H.E. Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China, held in Beijing, China this morning, on the sidelines of the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

The two leaders also discussed the direction of further strengthening the ironclad friendship between both countries through enhancement of the cooperation in all fields, including tourism, energy, trade, investment and people-to-people exchanges.

In this regard, H.E. Xi Jinping agreed with the initiative of Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet to designate 2024 as the year of people-to-people exchanges between Cambodia and China, as it is the key to boost tourism, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries to be more active and livelier.

H.E. Xi Jinping also expressed his satisfaction with the frequent exchanges between both nations’ leaders, reflecting their close and friendly relations, and reaffirmed China’s stance to increase its cooperation with Cambodia and support the 7th-mandate Royal Government’s Pentagonal Strategy.

For his part, Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet conveyed greetings from Samdech Techo Hun Sen, former Prime Minister of Cambodia, to the Chinese president, and congratulated China on the successful hosting of the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou.