Wang Yi calls for building a high-level China-Cambodia community with a shared future

Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, called for building a high-level China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era on Monday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks while co-hosting the seventh Meeting of the China-Cambodia Intergovernmental Coordination Committee with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia.

He said that building the China-Cambodia community with a shared future has always been at the forefront of the times and has become a model for building a new type of international relations.

He urged both sides to consolidate political mutual trust, deepen comprehensive cooperation and push forward the construction of the "Industrial Development Corridor" and "Fish and Rice Corridor."

China will bring new opportunities to countries around the world, including Cambodia, providing new paths for countries that want to maintain their independence and accelerate their development, he said.

China is ready to work with Cambodia to actively promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and make positive contributions to the development and progress of all mankind, said Wang.

Sun Chanthol said the meeting is of great significance, as it is the first intergovernmental coordinating committee meeting held after the establishment of Cambodia's new government and the first meeting held after Cambodia and China formulated the action plan to build a China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era.

He hailed cooperation between the two countries, noting that China's investment in Cambodia continues to grow, trade between the two countries continues to expand, and the Belt and Road cooperation and the Global Development Initiative have provided a strong impetus for Cambodia's economic and social development.

Cambodia is firmly committed to friendship and cooperation with China and is willing to work with China to implement the action plan and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, he added.

China reaffirmed its support for Cambodia in choosing a path of development in line with its national conditions and safeguarding its national sovereignty, security and development interests, and voiced opposition to external interference in Cambodia's internal affairs, according to a statement from Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Cambodia reaffirmed its adherence to the one-China policy and its firm support for all efforts China made to realize national reunification.

The two sides agreed to have close high-level exchanges and deepen the exchange of experience in governance. They also agreed to strengthen defense cooperation, continue to organize joint exercises and training, promote cooperation in medical and health services, personnel training, and mine clearance and jointly combat transnational crimes, such as online gambling, telecommunications fraud and drug trafficking.

Both sides agreed to formulate the cooperation plan for the "Industrial Development Corridor" as soon as possible and push forward the preliminary design of the China-Cambodia Railway.

They also agreed to implement the China-Cambodia free trade agreement with high quality, support the export of high-quality Cambodian agricultural products to China and encourage more Chinese-funded enterprises to invest in Cambodia.

Both sides agreed to take the "China-Cambodia People to People Exchange Year" as an opportunity to encourage tourism exchanges between the two countries, increase the number of flights between the two countries, support Cambodia in exploring tourism and cultural resources and carry out more practical exchanges among young people, localities and friendly organizations.

The two sides reiterated their willingness to strengthen coordination and cooperation on platforms such as the Lancang-Mekong cooperation and China-ASEAN cooperation.

They agreed that it is in the common interest of regional countries to maintain the hard-won peace and stability in the region and promote regional development and prosperity. China and Cambodia emphasized that they will fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, push forward the negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) and strive for the early conclusion of the COC.