Joint Statement between the People’s Republic of China and the Kingdom of Cambodia on Building a China-Cambodia Community with a Shared Future in the New Era

At the invitation of the Government of the People’s Republic of China, Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, paid an official visit to the People’s Republic of China from 9 to 11 February 2023.

During the visit, President Xi Jinping met with Samdech Techo Prime Minister Hun Sen, having in-depth exchanges on building a China-Cambodia Community with a Shared Future in the New Era and international and regional issues of shared interest, charting the course for future China-Cambodia relations. Samdech Techo Prime Minister Hun Sen also held talks with Premier Li Keqiang and met with Chairman Li Zhanshu of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. Both sides spoke highly of China-Cambodia impregnable ironclad friendship, which has been carefully nurtured by the elder generations leaders of both countries and has been constantly growing from strength to strength in the last 65 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, showcasing the new type of international relations. In the face of momentous changes and challenges in the world, the strategic significance of China-Cambodia relations gains further prominence. No matter how the international situation changes, the two sides will unswervingly deepen their close ironclad friendship and develop win-win practical cooperation for the mutual benefits, with a view to promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. The two sides announced the launch of the “China-Cambodia Friendship Year ”events to celebrate the 65th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, to usher in a new era of building a high-quality, high-level and high-standard China- Cambodia Community with a Shared Future, to carry forward the most treasured ironclad friendship through coming generations.

1. The Cambodian side renewed its warm congratulations on the full success of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the election of H.E. Xi Jinping as General Secretary of the 20th CPC Central Committee, spoke highly of China’s achievements in the decade of the new era and the Chinese modernization that offers an alternative path to modernization, contributing greater wisdom, solution and strength to address the common issues for mankind. The Cambodian side expressed firm belief that under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, China will achieve its second centenary goal of building a great modern socialist country in all respects towards great national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization, making greater contributions to the noble cause of peace and development of humanity.

2. The Chinese side spoke highly of Cambodia’s remarkable achievements in national stability, prosperity and rising international influence. China believes that with the blessing of His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Boromneath Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia, and under the leadership of the Royal Government of Cambodia headed by Samdech Techo Prime Minister Hun Sen, Cambodia will keep achieving new progress in national development and people’s well-being and playing a greater role in maintaining peace and prosperity in the region and the world.

3. Both sides emphasized that mutual support on the issues of each other’s core interests is the essence of a China-Cambodia Community with a Shared Future. The Chinese side reaffirmed resolute support to Cambodian people’s choice of development path that suits Cambodia’s national conditions, to Cambodia’s endeavors to safeguard her independence, sovereignty, security, and development interests, and to steady advancement of important Cambodian national political agenda while expressing firm opposition to any foreign interference in Cambodia’s internal affairs .

 The Cambodian side reaffirmed her resolute adherence to the One-China Policy. The Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole lawful government representing the whole of China. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’ s territory as well as China’ s internal affair, which brooks no interference from any external forces. Cambodia opposes any attempt to interfere in China’s internal affairs or to block and contain China under the subterfuge of Taiwan, or any form of separatist activities seeking “Taiwan independence”, and resolutely supports China’s every effort to achieve national reunification. Cambodia will not develop any form of official relations with Taiwan .

 Both sides agreed that Xinjiang - related issues are not about human rights, but about countering violent terrorism, extremism and separatism. The Cambodian side reiterated her resolute opposition to interfering in China’ s internal affairs by manipulating Xinjiang- related issues.

 Both sides concurred that while exploring human rights improvement, it is important to proceed from people’ s needs and real national conditions. Both sides expressed firm opposition to politicizing and instrumentalizing human rights issues, double standards, abusing democratic values to interfere in the internal affairs of sovereign countries or provoking division and confrontation on the pretext of safeguarding democracy and human rights, or imposition of one country’s will on others.

4. Both sides agreed to enhance high-level engagements through various formats such as bilateral visits, video calls, messages and letters, to advance strategic communication and political trust through in-depth exchanges on major bilateral, international, and regional issues in a timely manner, to firmly steer China-Cambodia relations in the right direction.

5. Both sides agreed to develop a diamond cooperation framework with six priority areas including political cooperation, production capacity , agriculture , energy , security and people-to- people exchanges:

 Both sides agreed to put into full play the role of China-Cambodia Intergovernmental Coordination Committee, to negotiate and sign a new Action Plan of Building a China-Cambodia Community with a Shared Future at an early date, to coordinate efforts on practical cooperation in various fields. Both sides agreed to strengthen political party cooperation and exchanges in various areas and at all levels, to enhance exchanges on governance and personal training; promote cooperation between counterpart departments on supervision, organization, and publicity, and advance friendly youth exchanges. Deepen exchanges between China’s National People’s Congress, National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and National Assembly and Senate of Cambodia. Implement Agreement on Advancing Cooperation in Building a China - Cambodia Community with a Shared Future in the New Era between the two Foreign Ministries to safeguard shared interests.

 Both sides agreed to deepen strategic synergy and cooperation between the Belt and Road Initiative and Rectangular Strategies , ensuring safety of the projects and personnel, and according a greater role to China-Cambodia Working Mechanism for Production Capacity and Investment Cooperation. Explore development of an “Industrial and Technological Corridor” towards the vision of developing Preah Sihanouk Province as a model of the multipurpose Special Economic Zone ( SEZ ). 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, exploring cooperation possibilities in transportation facilities, power grids, fiber optics networks , warehousing and logistics, to optimize the mix of China - Cambodia production capacity cooperation.

 China supports Cambodia in the preliminary work of railway planning, design, and feasibility studies to promote railway construction and projects benefiting people’s livelihood along the railway. Both sides look forward to early railway connection between Cambodia and China - Lao - Thailand Railway.

 Both sides agreed to implement the MoU on China-Cambodia Development Cooperation Planning(2023-2025). Promote the construction of infrastructure including roads, bridges, reservoirs, sewage treatment and submarine fiber optic cables. Carry out rural roads, water supply, schools, and medical projects in Cambodia to improve people’s livelihood. The Cambodian side expressed appreciation for China’s financial support of various forms for the implementation of relevant economic and technical and human resources development projects in Cambodia .

 Both sides agreed to explore the establishment of a “Fish and Rice Corridor” centred on north-western Cambodia and the Tonle Sap Lake area, to develop modern ecological agriculture near the lake. Accelerate the planning of Cambodia’s modern agricultural development, explore cooperation in digital agriculture; and support upgrading of Cambodia ' s aquaculture , tropical plantation and other competitive sectors. Enhance customs inspection and quarantine cooperation and actively promote the imports of high-quality Cambodian agricultural products; continue to advance “Single Window” interconnection to promote bilateral trade . Make full use of RCEP and China-Cambodia Free Trade Agreement while advancing China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 upgrade negotiations, and platforms including China International Import Expo, China Import and Export Fair , and China-ASEAN Expo as well as bilateral digital economy cooperation mechanisms, to enhance the competitiveness and popularity of Cambodian products in China and advance bilateral trade to new heights . Encourage localities in both countries to play their respective advantages in full to enhance practical cooperation in agriculture, economic and trade aspects .

 Both sides agreed to enhance cooperation in hydropower, photovoltaics, and other clean energy sources, to explore green, stable and reliable energy cooperation solutions. Promote the establishment of the China-Cambodia Low-carbon Demonstration Zone Project of South-South Cooperation on Climate Change in Preah Sihanouk Province. Ecology and environment cooperation is to be furthered with highlights on policy dialogue, joint research, and capacity building, as well as training for ecological and environmental protection management in Cambodia, to enhance the exchange of concepts , strategies , regulations , and standards .

 Both sides agreed to enhance engagements between the People’s Liberation Army ( PLA ) and the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) at all levels, tapping into the potential of the cooperation mechanism through the two militaries by enhancing counterpart forces exchanges and joint exercises and training, with enhanced practical cooperation in such areas as capacity building, military training, logistics and equipment, as well as closer coordination and cooperation in multilateral security affairs.

 Both sides agreed to continue cooperation in the exchange and sharing of information between law enforcement officials, with highlights on countering transnational crime, counter-terrorism, preventing “color revolution”, combating drug-related crimes, telecom fraud , illegal cross-border gambling , human trafficking , and law enforcement’s capacity building. Promote the strengthening of the China-Cambodia Law Enforcement Cooperation and Coordination Office.

 The Cambodian side spoke highly of China’s efforts to optimize and adjust its COVID -19 prevention and control policy in light of the evolving situation, which creates better conditions for safe, healthy and orderly people-to-people exchanges between China and other countries, bringing more benefits to global economy. China declared Cambodia among the first countries to resume outbound group travel with, and will give priority to restoring and increasing direct passenger flights. The Cambodian side reiterated a warm welcome to Chinese tourists and the commitment to provide quality service and security. Both sides agreed to encourage cooperation between cultural and tourism enterprises of the two countries, to jointly design tourism routes, develop cultural and tourism products, and enhance cooperation in cultural and tourism personnel training.

Both sides agreed to implement Agreement on Scientific, Technological and Innovative Cooperation between the two governments on the basis of equality, equity, and mutual benefit, including holding the 1st Meeting of China-Cambodia Joint Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation, and promoting cooperation in technology transfer and people-to-people exchanges in science and technology.

 Both sides agreed to launch education policy dialogues, supporting Cambodian youth to study in China and Cambodia to develop Chinese language teaching, promoting the setting up of new Confucius Institutes in Cambodia, stepping up vocational education cooperation and digital transformation of education.

 Both sides agreed to promote China-aid Project of Royal Palace Restoration in Angkor and protection and restoration of Preah Vihear Temple and other cultural heritages, and are committed to a joint action to preserve Asian cultural heritage, exploring the establishment of China-Cambodia joint working group on cultural heritages, to promote across-the-spectrum cooperation. Both sides agreed to continue working on the platform of the Asian Cultural Council to strengthen the cooperation in promoting peace, prosperity and solidarity through mutual understanding, respect, trust and interest and to connect the civilizations of Asia .

 China supports Cambodia to hold 2023 Southeast Asian Games and will continue to assist Cambodia in training athletes . Cambodia will send delegations to attend the Chengdu Summer Universiade and the Hangzhou Asian Games .

 Both sides agreed to deepen exchanges and cooperation in traditional medicine and other health fields, promoting the establishment of the China-Cambodia Traditional Chinese Medicine Cooperation Center. The two sides actively support various formats of people-to-people exchanges, and promote civil society organizations to carry out civilization mutual learning and livelihood projects cooperation, with a view to enhancing two-way people-to- people exchanges.

6.Both sides recognized the common values for all humanity of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom, and stood 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, while opposing all forms of hegemonism , power politics , unilateralism , exclusive bloc politics which targets specific countries. The two countries are committed to building a new type of international relations and promoting global partnerships of equality, openness and cooperation towards a community with a shared future for mankind.

 Both sides agreed on the adherence to true multilateralism, firmly supporting the open, transparent, inclusive, non- discriminatory and rules-based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core , and standing ready to jointly promote the WTO to play a greater role in global economic governance . China welcomes Cambodia’s joining of the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative ( GDI ). Cambodia stands ready to enhance cooperation at both bilateral and multilateral levels on its implementation, to jointly implement the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals. Cambodia supports China’s proposal of the Global Security Initiative ( GSI ), and stands ready to work with China on global security governance towards common , comprehensive , cooperative and sustainable security .

 The Chinese side congratulated on the successful Cambodia’s Chairmanship of ASEAN 2022 under the theme “ASEAN A . C . T .: Addressing Challenges Together”, and highly valued the positive role of Cambodia in achieving enduring peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region and beyond. Both sides reiterated their commitment of open regionalism towards building a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful, and amicable home in the region and deepening China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership , and agreed to enhance Lancang-Mekong Cooperation and promote the building of an even closer community with a shared future for Lancang-Mekong countries .

7.Both sides believed that with joint efforts of ASEAN countries 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 are counterproductive and should be avoided.

8.Both sides expressed satisfaction with the outcomes of the visit. Samdech Techo Prime Minister Hun Sen extended sincere appreciation for the warm and friendly hospitality extended by Chinese leaders and people while inviting President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders to visit Cambodia.

 During the visit , the two sides held the China-Cambodia Economic Forum on Trade, Investment and Tourism, and signed cooperation documents in the fields of foreign affairs, economic and trade cooperation, development cooperation, agricultural exports to China, infrastructure, education, media and cultural heritage protection, etc .

Beijing, 11 February  2023