Xi Jinping and his « ironclad friends » from Cambodia
by Xinhua writers Chang Yuan, Liu Chang
In February 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted then Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen at the Diaoyutai State Guest House in Beijing, an appointment between the two old friends.
Back in early 2020, Hun Sen visited Beijing as China was battling the COVID-19 epidemic. He visited to show Cambodia’s staunch support for the Chinese people at a critical moment. Three years later, Hun Sen visited China again as promised.
At their 2023 meeting, Xi recalled the prime minister’s trip to China during a heavy snowfall, saying he was happy to fulfill this « three-year appointment » with the visiting leader.
The warm and sturdy friendship between Xi and Hun Sen serves as a faithful reflection of the close bond between China and Cambodia, carefully nurtured by generations of leaders of both sides over the decades. And this relationship, described by Xi as « ironclad, » will surely be renewed as the Chinese leader is set to embark on his second state visit to the Southeast Asian country.
A CHAIR OF UNIQUE FRIENDSHIP
On the very day Xi arrived in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh in 2016 for a state visit, he made a special visit to the royal palace to see Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk. The queen mother invited Xi to sit in a chair that was frequently used by her late husband, King Father Norodom Sihanouk.
This chair had been meticulously preserved by the Cambodian royal family since the king father’s passing — covered and untouched, until Xi’s visit.
« This is a privilege reserved only for the most esteemed and dearest friends, » explained Princess Norodom Arunrasmy, who was present.
With a warm smile, Xi spoke fondly of King Father Sihanouk, describing him as « a revered friend of the Chinese people and a symbol of China-Cambodia friendship. » The king father’s deep personal ties with Chinese leaders since the 1950s have played a pivotal role in fostering the ever-refreshing friendship between the two countries.
More than once, Xi has quoted an old Chinese saying to underscore how the China-Cambodia friendship has withstood challenges and global transformations: « A long journey tests a horse’s strength, and a long span of time reveals a person’s heart. »
In Xi’s signed article published by Cambodian media prior to his 2016 visit to the country, he noted that China will never forget Cambodia’s role as one of the first nations to recognize the People’s Republic of China and a champion of China’s rightful seat at the United Nations.
The friendship between the two close neighbors has always been mutual. China has been a steadfast partner of Cambodia, supporting its national independence and economic development, including the construction of Cambodia’s first cement plant and thermal power station.
To honor the friendship, Xi awarded a Friendship Medal to the queen mother at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in November 2020. « This weighty ‘Friendship Medal’ represents the deep respect of the Chinese people for Queen Mother Monineath and the profound friendship between China and Cambodia, » he said.
Xi has also shown particular care for Cambodia’s royal family. « Beijing is your home. You’re more than welcome to return whenever you like, » he said while meeting King Sihamoni and Queen Mother Monineath at Beijing’s Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in 2014. He has also made thoughtful arrangements for their medical check-ups in China. Over the past decade and more, King Sihamoni and Queen Mother Monineath regularly come to China, almost twice every year.
Over the years, Xi has also maintained frequent exchanges with Hun Sen. With Hun Manet taking over as Cambodia’s prime minister, the friendship has been passed on to the next generation.
In September 2023, Hun Manet chose China as his first official overseas destination after assuming office, a gesture reflecting Cambodia’s diplomatic priority. During his meeting with Xi, Hun Manet pledged to further carry forward the ironclad friendship between Cambodia and China.
Ek Sam Ol, president of the Cambodia-China Friendship Association, said the relationship between China and Cambodia has not only set an example for big and small countries to get along with mutual respect, equality and win-win cooperation, but also contributed to regional peace and stability, which has brought great benefits to the people of the two countries.
A ROAD TO HOPE
A Cambodian proverb says, « Where there is a road, there is hope. » In May 2024, a road in Phnom Penh was named « Xi Jinping Boulevard » by the Royal Government of Cambodia to honor the Chinese leader’s historic contributions to the country’s development. In 1965, the late King Father Sihanouk similarly named a road after Chairman Mao Zedong.
At the naming ceremony, Hun Manet highlighted that, under the leadership and joint efforts of Xi and Cambodian leaders, bilateral ties have entered their best period in history.
Since 2013, the China-Cambodia comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership has continued to strengthen thanks to flourishing practical cooperation across various fields. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), proposed by Xi, has played a significant role in fostering common development and shared benefits for both sides.
Situated along the ancient Maritime Silk Road, Cambodia was among the first countries to join Belt and Road cooperation. Its leaders have attended in China all three editions of Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in recent years.
Over the years, key BRI projects in Cambodia have reaped fruitful results: the Sihanoukville Special Economy Zone (SSEZ) has attracted over 200 international enterprises and institutions, generating 32,000 jobs; Cambodia’s first expressway, the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway, has reduced travel time between the two cities from over five hours to less than two; the Siem Reap Angkor International Airport has helped Cambodia’s tourism to take off, operating 17 routes by the end of last year.
« The SSEZ, along with other flagship BRI projects, has played a crucial role in helping Cambodia achieve its ambitious targets of becoming an upper-middle-income country by 2030 and a high-income nation by 2050, » said Neak Chandarith, director of the Cambodia 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Research Center.
Bilateral trade and commerce have also thrived. China has been Cambodia’s largest foreign investor and trading partner for several consecutive years. Over the past decade, bilateral trade has nearly quadrupled, official data show. The Cambodia-China Free Trade Agreement and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership have facilitated exports of Cambodian products like rice, bananas, longans and Basa fish to Chinese markets.
Xi advocates for a comprehensive approach to China-Cambodia cooperation. This is why he has repeatedly emphasized the importance of the bilateral « Diamond Hexagon » cooperation framework, which covers six major areas: politics, production capacity, agriculture, energy, security and people-to-people exchanges.
These efforts have provided new impetus for building a high-quality, high-level and high-standard Cambodia-China community with a shared future in the new era, a vision pledged by both nations’ leaders, noted Thong Mengdavid, a lecturer at the Institute for International Studies and Public Policy at the Royal University of Phnom Penh.
A BOOK SHARING VALUABLE INSIGHTS
In April 2017, the Khmer edition of the first volume of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China was released in Cambodia, with Hun Sen attending the launching ceremony.
First published in 2014, this 18-chapter book compiles 79 speeches, talks, addresses, interviews, instructions and congratulatory messages by Xi from November 2012 to June 2014. The book series, which now has four volumes, serves as a key venue for readers worldwide to understand Xi’s philosophies in running a major country like China.
Speaking before an audience of more than 700 attendees, Hun Sen expressed hope that Cambodian officials, scholars and students could gain valuable insights from the book and apply them to Cambodia’s unique conditions, thereby contributing to more effective governance.
Chea Munyrith, president of the Cambodian Chinese Evolution Researcher Association, led the translation team. In his view, Cambodia’s recent development is closely linked to learning from China’s experience and ideas, many of which are reflected in Xi’s book.
One article in the book focuses on poverty alleviation and wealth creation in impoverished areas. Under Xi’s leadership, China eliminated absolute poverty in 2020. This achievement enabled China to meet the poverty eradication target in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule.
« Cambodian officials particularly focus on poverty alleviation and closely follow China’s governance experience in this area, » said Munyrith.
In recent years, poverty reduction cooperation between the two countries has been taking concrete steps, with the establishment of poverty alleviation demonstration villages as a highlight. The Chinese side has shared with its Cambodian counterparts useful experiences in integrating modern agriculture, vocational training and rural development.
Thanks to those efforts, concrete roads, canals, solar-powered lamps and clean water facilities have been built in villages. According to the UNDP Country Programme Document 2024-2028 released last year, Cambodia has lifted 2.8 million people, or 50 percent of the country’s total poor, out of poverty in the past seven and half years.
Xi has supported Cambodia in searching for a development path suited to its unique national conditions. This principle has been central to China’s accomplishment of twin miracles: rapid economic growth and enduring social stability.
With his repeated proposal, China and Cambodia are deepening cooperation in aligning the BRI with Cambodia’s « Pentagonal Strategy » for national development.
In Hun Sen’s eyes, Xi is a great leader and a remarkable person capable of guiding China’s development.
« Every initiative he has proposed, such as the Belt and Road Initiative, which bridges past and present, and the Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative, reflects his far-reaching vision, » said Hun Sen. « Tell me, which other leader possesses such foresight? » Enditem
(Xinhua reporters Wu Changwei, Sovan Nguon in Phnom Penh and Zhang Yuan in Beijing also contributed to the story.)
