Cambodia, China to boost cooperation

Cambodia and China yesterday hailed the traditional friendship between the two and agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation through the intergovernmental coordinating mechanism.

This was stated at the 7th Meeting of the Cambodia-China Intergovernmental Coordination Committee held at the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC).

The meeting was co-chaired by Sun Chanthol, Deputy Prime Minister and the First Vice Chairman of CDC and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Both leaders spoke highly of the substantial development of the China-Cambodia relationship, agreeing to give full play to the role of the Intergovernmental Coordination Committee for the implementation of the ‘Action Plan on Building a China-Cambodia Community with a Shared Future.’

After the meeting, both sides oversaw the signing ceremony of new agreements to shore up bilateral cooperation.

The agreements covered the exchange of notes of the China-aided Rural Water Supply Project-Phase II, hand over the certificate of the agricultural development master plan project in Cambodia and protocol relating to quarantine and hygiene requirements for cowhide pet dog chew semi-products to be exported from Cambodia to China.

At the 7th meeting, the Intergovernmental Coordinating Committee also officially launched the Khmer version of the Customs of Cambodia and the leaders also attended a ceremony marking Cambodia’s coconut export to China.

Wang Yi later paid a courtesy call to Prime Minister Hun Manet at the Peace Palace.

The Chinese Foreign Minister is in Cambodia for a three-day official visit coinciding with the Cambodia-China People-to-People Exchange Year. The visit is also to promote the Diamond Cooperation framework and to stimulate collaboration across regional and international platforms, thus mutually benefiting the two nations and peoples.

China is the biggest trading partner of Cambodia with bilateral trade volume reaching $12.26 billion last year, up five percent from $11.68 billion in 2022. The two-way trade figure accounted for 26 percent of total trade at $46.82 billion, an official report showed.