Hun Sen, president of both the Senate and the Cambodian People's Party arriving in China on Dec 2. - SHS
PHNOM PENH: Hun Sen, president of both the Senate and the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), arrived in China on Monday (Dec 2) for a three-day official visit. During the trip, he plans to meet with Chinese president Xi Jinping to further strengthen the "ironclad" friendship between the two nations.
This marks Hun Sen’s first official visit to China in his capacity as Senate president. The trip is being made at the invitation of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and will conclude on Dec 4.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hun Sen is scheduled to meet with Xi, who is also general secretary of the CPC.
He will also hold separate meetings with Wang Huning, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), and Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC).
The foreign ministry stated on Nov 30 that the visit by Hun Sen "will inject new momentum into strengthening the ironclad friendship, elevating comprehensive strategic partnership cooperation, deepening collaboration under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and advancing the building of a Cambodia-China community with a shared future of high quality and standards in this new era."
Kin Phea, director of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, noted the visit's significance in deepening and strengthening bilateral ties between Cambodia and China, which have already become a “comprehensive strategic partnership”.
“This visit demonstrates Cambodia’s unwavering foreign policy towards China. Even though [Hun Sen] no longer holds executive power, he remains the leader of the ruling party, which has steered Cambodia for over four decades,” he said.
“China remains an essential and indispensable partner for Cambodia in political, strategic and economic spheres. For China, Cambodia continues to be a staunch supporter of its ‘One-China’ policy as well as its global initiatives and strategies,” he added.
Phea suggested that the two nations could synergise their respective policies to support each other and promote development. - The Straits Times/ANN
