Unbreakable, ‘ironclad’ friendship
China-Cambodia ties a unique role model that can be replicated regionally, globally
This year has been designated the Year of CambodiaChina Friendship to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
In these years, the two sides have forged and nurtured an unbreakable, “ironclad” friendship that has weathered many storms and overcome many difficulties.
The friendship between Cambodia and China is rooted in the five principles of peaceful coexistence: mutual respect for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, mutual non-aggression, mutual noninterference in each other’s internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful co-existence.
The two countries are jointly addressing common and global challenges, strengthening contacts at all levels and across all platforms, and deepening mutual understanding to ensure they continue to make great achievements at the national, regional and global levels.
In a daily briefing ahead of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s first visit to China since 2020, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson emphasized that “Cambodia and China have traditionally been close neighbors and ironclad friends while friendship forged by the older generation of the leaders of the two countries has stood the test of time and grown from strength to strength”.
At the invitation of Premier Li Keqiang, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen paid an official visit to China from Feb 9 to 11. He last visited China in February 2020 when the pandemic situation in both Cambodia and China was still grave, demonstrating Cambodia’s strong support for China.
Hun Sen became the first foreign leader to be hosted by China after the 2023 Lunar New Year.
Both sides were highly optimistic that the visit would boost cooperation between the two countries and deepen development in all fields.
The Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
highlighted that Hun Sen’s visit would offer an opportunity for both governments to further advance the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Cooperation, the Cambodia-China Free Trade Agreement and bolster the building of a Cambodia-China community of shared future for the mutual benefit of the two nations and their peoples.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning also spoke highly of the Cambodian leader’s visit, noting that it would help promote the building of the China-Cambodia community with a shared future and carry forward the China-Cambodia friendship from generation to generation.
In both deeds and words, Cambodia and China have stood together through thick and thin and attach great importance to upholding genuine multilateralism, democratization of international relations and the development of global governance toward greater justice and equity.
They also firmly uphold the basic norms of international relations, safeguard international fairness and justice, and oppose all forms of hegemony, power politics, unilateralism and exclusivity, Cold War mentality, interference in other countries’ internal affairs and double standard.
Cambodia has always maintained its unwavering adherence to the oneChina policy and opposition to any action or remark that undermines China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, any form of separatist activities that seek “Taiwan independence”, and any form of external interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states.
Cambodia supports and actively participates in China’s Global Development Initiative, in line with its commitment to the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
It supports China’s Global Security Initiative proposal and stands ready to work with China on global security governance toward common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security.
The comprehensive strategic partnership between Cambodia and China should not stop Cambodia from having good relations with other countries or powers.
The healthy relations between the two countries have always been based on the principle of equal rights and equal footing, respecting one another’s interests and adhering to the principle of noninterference.
The special and unbreakable ties between the two countries are a “unique role model” of interstate relations that can be replicated both regionally and globally.
In this Year of Cambodia-China Friendship, the strong commitment and great efforts made by the leaders and peoples of the two countries underpin the mutual knowledge that the building of the Cambodia-China community with a shared future is a reality.