Chinese FM holds talks with Cambodian deputy PM

BEIJING, May 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Sok Chenda Sophea, Cambodian deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, on Friday in Beijing.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that as a staunch friend, China firmly supports Cambodia in pursuing a successful development path suited to its national conditions, in maintaining stability, promoting development and improving its people's livelihoods, and in playing a more important role in international and regional affairs.

China stands ready to work with Cambodia to uphold the fine tradition of solidarity and mutual assistance, implement the strategic consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, steer the construction of the China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the right direction, deepen strategic mutual trust, advance mutually beneficial cooperation, share development and revitalization opportunities, and join hands to march toward modernization, Wang noted.

China is willing to encourage more Chinese enterprises to invest in Cambodia and share experience in building special economic zones, Wang said. It is also ready to help Cambodia accelerate industrialization, support Cambodia in achieving green and low-carbon development, and expand its imports of marketable agricultural products from Cambodia, he added.

Wang stressed that China looks forward to strengthening coordination and cooperation with Cambodia to build a closer Lancang-Mekong community with a shared future, and to working with Cambodia and other countries in the region to grasp the main stream of regional development and cooperation, eliminate interference and sabotage by external forces, jointly maintain regional peace and stability, and safeguard the common and legitimate interests of all countries.

Sok Chenda Sophea said that Cambodia attaches great importance to Cambodia-China relations and thinks highly of the achievements of Cambodia-China cooperation. Cambodia abides by the one-China principle and firmly supports China's efforts to safeguard its core interests.

The two sides agreed to accelerate the implementation of the Diamond Hexagon cooperation framework, promote the construction of the Fish and Rice Corridor and the Industrial Development Corridor, and strengthen cooperation on agriculture, infrastructure construction, connectivity, the digital economy, artificial intelligence, human resources development and special economic zones.

The two sides will take the China-Cambodia People-to-People Exchange Year 2024 as an opportunity to deepen cooperation on education, tourism, youth, localities and vocational skills training, and push the construction of the China-Cambodia community with a shared future to a new level.

The two countries agreed to strengthen communication and coordination on regional and international affairs, strengthen China-ASEAN cooperation and Lancang-Mekong cooperation further, and push East Asian regional cooperation in the right direction.