In a significant development in bilateral relations, Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei HUN Manet of Cambodia and Premier His Excellency LI Qiang of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China reaffirmed their commitment to deepening cooperation between the two nations on October 10, 2024, during the sidelines of the 44". and 45" ASEAN Summits and Related Summits in Vientiane.
The two leaders emphasized the substantial growth of Cambodia-China relations, which have reached a new height, and agreed to encourage joint efforts by relevant institutions to further develop the "Diamond Cooperation" between the two countries. They also praised the achievements under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation, which has significantly contributed to regional infrastructure connectivity.
On trade and investment cooperation, both Prime Ministers expressed great satisfaction with the growing two-way trade. The Chinese side pledged to increase imports of Cambodian agricultural products. Both leaders shared the view that cooperation between the two countries to build the "Industrial and Technological Corridor" and "Fish and Rice Corridor" is progressing well and should be further intensified. They also agreed to strengthen win-win cooperation on clean energy, including solar power and hydropower, to ensure energy security.
Samdech Thipadei Prime Minister welcomed increasing interest of the Chinese business in Cambodia's socio-economic development. Both sides agreed to maintain frequent high-level visits and engagements to advance strategic communication and strengthen political trust to firmly steer the excellent ties and cooperation between Cambodia and China.
The Chinese side reaffirmed unwavering support for Cambodia's choice of development path that suits its national conditions. Samdech Thipadei Prime Minister expressed his gratitude for China's invaluable assistance and support for the socio-economic development of Cambodia. He reiterated Cambodia's resolute adherence to the One-China policy.
Both sides reaffirmed their close collaboration and mutual support in regional and multilateral fora, including ASEAN cooperation. They also highlighted significant progress on security and defence cooperation between the two countries, including holding regular consultations, joint exercises against non-traditional threats such as disaster search and rescue.
Furthermore, both leaders expressed satisfaction on various activities conducted in both countries to celebrate the Cambodia-China People-to-People Exchange Year 2024 and committed to encourage more tourism exchanges. They also discussed ways to further enhance cooperation in law enforcement and encouraged relevant ministries and institutions of both countries to work closely to jointly crack down on transnational crimes, including online scams.
In conclusion, the reaffirmed commitment between Cambodia and China underscores the significance of bilateral relations in promoting regional development and cooperation. As two major players in ASEAN, the strengthened cooperation between the two nations is likely to have a positive impact on the region's stability and growth.