Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen Meets with Wang Yi

On August 13, 2023 local time, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen met in Phnom Penh with visiting Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Hun Sen extended sincere gratitude for the great importance attached by President Xi Jinping to China-Cambodia relations by sending a congratulatory message immediately after the general election of Cambodia and sending a Chinese high-level delegation to visit Cambodia, which has fully demonstrated China's firm support for Cambodia and the ironclad friendship between Cambodia and China. The results of the general election have shown the right choice made by the Cambodian people and their trust in and support for the Cambodian People's Party (CPP). Cambodia will promote the transition to a new generation leadership in an orderly manner, and maintain the country's stable and continuous policies and principles. Cambodia views China as a true strategic safeguard and strong strategic supporter, and will not waver in its resolve to consolidate and deepen Cambodia-China solidarity and friendship. The new Cambodian government will continue to strengthen strategic mutual trust with China and carry forward traditional friendship. Cambodia thanks China for its valuable support for the country's development. Cambodia has benefited immensely from Belt and Road cooperation between Cambodia and China, and looks forward to jointly implementing the bilateral "diamond hexagon" cooperation consensus and promoting the "Industrial Development Corridor" and the "Fish and Rice Corridor" with China, so as to enhance Cambodia's capacity for independent development at a faster pace.

Wang Yi conveyed sincere greetings of the Chinese leaders, and extended congratulations to the CPP for its overwhelming victory in the general election, saying that an international observer mission composed of representatives from more than 60 countries unanimously agreed that the election was fair, transparent and in accordance with the law, and the results of the general election reflected the shared aspirations of the people and the irresistible trend of the times. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Hun Sen, Cambodia has gone from war to peace, from turmoil to stability, from poverty to prosperity, and from the region to the world, as its development achievements are obvious to all. The noises made by some external forces are pale in the face of the people's choice. The Chinese delegation's visit when Cambodia is building on past achievements and embarking on a new journey is to show that China has full confidence in Cambodia's future and even greater confidence in the prospects of China-Cambodia relations.

Wang Yi said that China highly appreciates Prime Minister Hun Sen's historic contribution to building the China-Cambodia community with a shared future, cherishes the deep mutual trust and profound friendship forged by the leaders of the two countries, and will, as always, stand with Cambodia, and firmly support Cambodia in following a development path suited to its national conditions, safeguarding national interests and dignity, and playing a bigger role on international and regional occasions. The ironclad friendship between China and Cambodia is ever-lasting and time-tested, and China-Cambodia relations enjoy a bright future for development. China is ready to work with the new Cambodian government to build a high-quality, high-level and high-standard China-Cambodia community with a shared future in a new era, and advance the implementation of the important common understandings reached by the leaders of the two countries to produce effects, so that the friendship between the two countries is deeply rooted in people's hearts and passes on from generation to generation.

On the same day, King of Cambodia Norodom Sihamoni met with Wang Yi.

During his visit to Cambodia, Wang Yi also met and held talks respectively with Cambodian Prime Minister-designate Kitti Tesaphibal Pundit Hun Manet, Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong, Deputy Prime Minister-designate Sun Chanthol, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister-designate Sok Chenda Sophea, among others.