The following is the Joint Communiqué between the Royal Government of Cambodia and the Government of the People’s Republic of China:
“At the invitation of Premier Li Qiang of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei HUN Manet, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, paid an official visit to the People’s Republic of China from 14 to 16 September 2023. During the visit, Samdech Thipadei HUN Manet met with President Xi Jinping, having in-depth exchanges on building a Cambodia-China Community with a Shared Future in the new era, and on international and regional issues of shared interest, charting the course for future Cambodia-China relations.
Samdech Thipadei HUN Manet also held talks with Premier Li Qiang and met with Chairman Zhao Leji of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.
1. Both sides speak highly of the substantial development of Cambodia-China relationship, which has been carefully nurtured by generations of leaders of both countries and has been constantly growing from strength to strength in the last 65 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties. Both sides emphasize that no matter how the international situation changes, the two sides will unswervingly develop their ever-lasting friendship and deepen cooperation for mutual benefits, with a view to promoting the building of a high-quality, high-level and high-standard Cambodia-China Community with a Shared Future in the new era as a showcase for a community with a shared future for mankind. The two sides speak highly of the achievements of “Cambodia-China Friendship Year” events celebrating 65 years of diplomatic relations, and stand willing to carry forward traditional friendship through coming generations.
2. Both sides reaffirm their respect and support for each other’s choice of development path that suits their respective national conditions. The Cambodian side speaks highly of China’s great achievements in the decade of the new era and Chinese modernization that offers an alternative to modernization for mankind and fresh opportunities for Cambodia. It is trusted that China will achieve its second centenary goal of building a great modern socialist country in all aspects towards great national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization. The Chinese side speaks highly of Cambodia’s economic and social achievements and firmly believes that with the blessing of His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Boromneath Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia, and leadership of the new Royal Government of Cambodia headed by Samdech Thipadei Prime Minister, Cambodia will make greater strides in national development and people’s well-being as well as play a more important role in maintaining peace and prosperity in the region and beyond.
3. The Chinese side reaffirms resolute support to Cambodia’s endeavors to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests while expressing firm opposition to any foreign interference in Cambodia’s internal affairs.
The Cambodian side reaffirms resolute adherence to the One-China Policy, that the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole lawful government representing the whole of China, and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory and China’s internal affairs, brooking no foreign interference. Cambodia opposes any attempt to interfere in China’s internal affairs or to block or contain China under the subterfuge of Taiwan, or any form of separatist activities seeking “Taiwan independence”. Cambodia resolutely supports China’s every effort to achieve national reunification, and will not develop any form of official relations with Taiwan.
Both sides express firm opposition to politicization of human rights, double standards and interference in other countries’ internal affairs under the guise of human rights or democracy. Both sides agree to strengthen cooperation against interference and Color Revolution.
4. Both sides agree to maintain high-level strategic engagements to advance coordination and cooperation on bilateral relations and major issues of common concern. Both sides agree to give full play to the role of Cambodia-China Intergovernmental Coordination Committee, in the implementation of Action Plan on Building a Cambodia-China Community with a Shared Future in the New Era between the Kingdom of Cambodia and the People’s Republic of China (2024-2028), and the roles of National Assembly and Senate of the Kingdom of Cambodia, and China’s National People’s Congress, National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and inter-party channels, as well as the MOU on Cooperation and Exchanges between the Cambodian People’s Party and the Communist Party of China, with a view to deepening exchanges of experience in governance, close cooperation and better fulfill Cambodia-China Community with a Shared Future in the new era.
5. Both sides agree to deepen strategic synergy between Pentagonal Strategy and the Belt and Road Initiative and focus on developing a diamond cooperation framework with six priority areas, with a view to deepening Cambodia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation and achieving high-quality and sustainable common development.
-Give full play to Cambodia-China Working Mechanism for Production Capacity and Investment Cooperation, with the vision of developing Preah Sihanouk Province as a model of the multipurpose Special Economic Zone (SEZ), jointly conducting studies on Industrial and Technological Corridor in Cambodia. Build on the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone (SSEZ) as the flagship project and Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway to attract more competent Chinese enterprises to increase investment in Cambodia while encouraging cooperation among companies of the two countries in the field of agro-industries, transportation infrastructure, electricity, energy and manufacturing. The Chinese side supports railroad development in Cambodia and will jointly conduct studies on preliminary planning and design as well as economic and technical feasibility studies, while advancing roads, sewage treatment and other supporting infrastructure development, as well as electricity and power grid cooperation.
– Expedite progress of the Fish and Rice Corridor, focusing on agricultural products such as fish, rice, tropical fruits, vegetables, agricultural inputs (fertilizer, pesticide, animal feed), to enlarge agri-trade volume between both countries. To achieve fish and rice corridor objective, cooperation on agricultural sector should focus on developing aquaculture, agro-processing, ecological agriculture, modern machineries, new agricultural technology and human resources. Modern agricultural demonstration zones will be established in Cambodia and cooperation and exchanges in digital agriculture will be carried out.
Deepen the inspection and quarantine cooperation between the two countries. Explore cross-border information exchanges through “single window” while deepening cooperation in animal and plants quarantine, food safety and speeding up negotiations on quarantine protocols for the export of Cambodian quality agricultural and food products to China.
– Give full play to the guiding role of Cambodia-China Economic and Trade Cooperation Committee to support the mutually beneficial trade and investment cooperation between enterprises of the two countries. Implement the Cambodia-China Free Trade Agreement while tapping full potentials of bilateral trade and enhancing the competitiveness of Cambodian products in China through bilateral e-commerce cooperation mechanisms, China International Import Expo, China Import and Export Fair, China International Consumer Products Expo, Global Digital Trade Expo, ASEAN-China Expo, etc. Promote high-quality implementation of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) while advancing China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 negotiations. The Cambodian side supports Hong Kong SAR in joining RCEP.
– Enhance cooperation in hydropower, photovoltaics, and other clean energy sources, to explore green, stable and reliable energy cooperation solutions, promote establishment of Cambodia-China Low-carbon Demonstration Zone Project of South-South Cooperation on Climate Change in Preah Sihanouk Province, carrying out cooperation in policy dialogue, joint research, capacity building with a focus on climate change, pollution management and circular economy; conduct cooperation in areas of shared interests such as comprehensive water resources management, flood and drought disaster prevention and drinking water safety in rural areas.
– Maintain high-level military engagements to strengthen communications and exchanges between relevant departments and services of two armed forces, deepening pragmatic cooperation in training, joint exercise, medical services, logistics and demining etc., as well as enhancing coordination and cooperation on multilateral fora.
Continue to deepen practical police cooperation and capacity building at both national and local levels of the two countries in combating cross-border gambling, telecommunication fraud; carry out security cooperation on major Belt and Road projects.
– The Chinese side affirms continued support to economic development and improvement of people’s livelihood in Cambodia through further implementation of the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and projects such as rural roads, bridges, water supplies, schools and hospitals. The Cambodian side expresses appreciation for China’s staunch support.
– The Cambodian side reiterates a warm welcome to Chinese tourists and the commitment to providing quality service and security. Both sides agree to enhance exchanges between cultural and tourism institutions/responsible ministries of the two countries to promote the implementation of the Executive Program on Cultural Cooperation between the two governments, while encouraging cooperation between cultural and tourism sectors of both countries through joint project development of tourism products, human resources and mutual support of tourism marketing and promotion as well as comprehensive supports in institutional building efforts. Continue to implement the China-aid Project of Royal Palace Restoration in Angkor and promote cooperation in the protection and restoration of the Preah Vihear Temple and other cultural heritages. Support air transport enterprises of both countries to increase Cambodia-China flights in accordance with market demands to facilitate bilateral economic and trade cooperation and personnel exchanges.
Continue to support Cambodian youths to study in China. Promote the Youth House for Cambodia-China Friendship to be the platform for strengthening youth exchanges and training between the two countries. Promote the establishment of Confucius Institutes and high-quality development of Chinese language education in Cambodia. Enhance cooperation in vocational education within the framework of Cambodia-China Vocational Education Alliance, while promoting mutual recognition of vocational skills registration standards. The Chinese side will continue to provide government scholarships to Cambodian students.
Enhance exchanges and cooperation in health sector including traditional Chinese medicine and traditional Chinese medical science, promoting the establishment of Cambodia-China Traditional Chinese Medicine Cooperation Center. The Chinese side will keep dispatching Traditional Chinese medical teams to Cambodia.
Both sides support all forms of bilateral people-to-people exchanges and push forward cooperation projects to deepen civilization exchanges and livelihood improvement between the two countries’ NGOs, with a view to promoting mutual understanding between the two peoples.
6. Both sides stand ready to safeguard the international system with the UN as its core, the international order based on international law, and the basic norms governing international relations embodied in the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. Both sides oppose all forms of hegemonism, power politics, unilateralism in any manifestation, and exclusive blocs targeting specific countries. The two countries are committed to strengthening cooperation on building a new type of international relations and building a better community with a shared future for mankind.
Both sides stand ready to safeguard the basic norms and core values of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and support the necessary WTO reform, especially the restoration and normal functioning of the binding two-tier dispute settlement mechanism. The two countries, both as developing countries, are willing to strengthen cooperation within the WTO framework to jointly safeguard the lawful rights of the developing nation members and promote the WTO to play a better role.
Both sides agree on adherence to true multilateralism. The Cambodian side applauds China’s important constructive role in promoting global peace and development and stands ready to participate in the GDI cooperation towards early implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals. Cambodia supports Global Security Initiative (GSI) and Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), and stands ready to work with China on global security governance towards common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and to uphold the humanity’s common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom.
Both sides reiterate commitment to open regionalism towards building a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful, and amicable home in the region, deepening ASEAN-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to build an even closer ASEAN-China community with a shared future. Both sides agree to enhance Mekong-Lancang Cooperation to promote the building of an even closer community with a shared future for Mekong-Lancang countries.
7. Both sides believe that with joint efforts of ASEAN Member States and China, the situation in the South China Sea has maintained overall stability. The two countries call on relevant parties to carry forward the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) fully and effectively, to enhance maritime cooperation, and reach an early conclusion on a substantive and effective Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) on the basis of mutual consensus, to build the South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation. Any attempt to use the South China Sea issue to undermine regional peace, stability and trust is counterproductive and should be avoided.
8. Both sides express satisfaction with the outcomes of the visit. Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei HUN Manet expresses sincere appreciation for the warm and friendly hospitality extended by Chinese leaders and people, and invites Chinese leaders to visit Cambodia at mutual convenience.
During the visit, the two sides signed Action Plan on Building a Cambodia-China Community with a Shared Future in the New Era between the Kingdom of Cambodia and the People’s Republic of China (2024-2028) and several other cooperation documents on “Industrial and Technological Corridor”, “Fish and Rice Corridor”, Infrastructure, Digital Economy, Green Development, Inspection and Quarantine, Forestry and Wildlife, and Development Cooperation.
Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse