Wang Yi Holds Talks with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn
2021-12-04 23:55

On December 4, 2021, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn in Anji County, Zhejiang Province.

Wang Yi said, in the face of the pandemic and once-in-a-century changes, China and Cambodia, as iron-clad friends, comprehensive strategic partners and a community with a shared future, should unite closely more than ever before to safeguard the legitimate and legal rights and interests of the two countries, and maintain regional peace, stability and development. Not long ago, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen as well as other leaders of ASEAN countries jointly attended the ASEAN-China Special Summit to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations, and comprehensively elaborated on the profound connotation of the new positioning of bilateral relations, charting the course for efforts to elevate and upgrade the relations between China and ASEAN as well as between China and Cambodia. Premier Li Keqiang and Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen also held a productive meeting via video link. At the turn of the year, it is necessary for us to strengthen strategic communication, deepen strategic coordination, jointly implement the important consensus reached by the two leaders, and promote greater development in China-Cambodia relations and China-ASEAN relations at a new historical threshold.

Wang Yi said, at present, the COVID-19 pandemic keeps raging with frequent flare-ups. China is willing to support Cambodia in strengthening the positive momentum in preventing and controlling the pandemic, and continue to provide vaccine assistance to meet Cambodia's need and help Cambodia build a vaccine liquid bottling factory. China and Cambodia need to take the entry into force of both the bilateral free trade agreement and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) early next year as an opportunity to deliver faster and better post-pandemic economic recovery of the two countries and the region. China is willing to steadily advance cooperation in major projects such as expressways and airports, and create a high-quality development demonstration zone in production capacity cooperation. Both sides need to promote digital economy cooperation, create new highlights in bilateral cooperation, implement more livelihood projects, and expand Cambodian agricultural exports to China, so as to better benefit Cambodian people.

Prak Sokhonn congratulates China on its great victory against the pandemic under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, and believes China will surely achieve its second centenary goal. Cambodia highly applauds that China has honored its commitment to making COVID-19 vaccines a global public good and played an important leading role in the global response to the pandemic. Cambodia sincerely appreciates China's strong support for Cambodia's fight against the pandemic, and 90 percent of Cambodia's vaccines are from China. Cambodia attaches great importance to and supports the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and the Global Initiative on Data Security proposed by China. Cambodia wishes China a successful Beijing Olympic Winter Games.

Prak Sokhonn said, Cambodia and China have made smooth progress in Belt and Road cooperation on infrastructure projects, and maintained strong development momentum in economic and trade cooperation. China has become Cambodia's largest trading partner and the largest source of investment and tourists. Cambodia thanks China for expanding Cambodian agricultural exports to China and helping Cambodia achieve agricultural modernization. Cambodia stands ready to deepen bilateral practical cooperation and bring more benefits to the people of the two countries.

Both sides also exchanged views on jointly advancing China-ASEAN relations. Wang Yi said, China attaches great importance to and fully supports Cambodia in taking over as the rotating chair of the ASEAN in 2022. China is willing to work with Cambodia and other ASEAN countries to accelerate the integration of the ASEAN. China appreciates Cambodia's positive support for the GDI. Both sides need to fully leverage the resources of the United Nations and regional organizations to jointly promote the implementation of the GDI. China commends Cambodia's efforts to ratify the RCEP, and is willing to jointly advance the earlier full coverage of the RCEP across the countries in the region. Both sides need to promptly make the Five-Year Plan of Action on Lancang-Mekong Cooperation and speed up the building of the Lancang-Mekong Economic Development Belt. Prak Sokhonn totally agreed, and said that Cambodia is willing to jointly build ASEAN and China into peaceful, tranquil, prosperous, beautiful and friendly homelands.

Both sides speak highly of the fruitful outcomes of bilateral iron-clad friendship, comprehensive strategic partnership and a community with a shared future. The two countries will continue to stand firmly together to jointly safeguard the basic norms governing international relations, and oppose unilateralism and bullying practices.

After the talks, the competent authorities of the two sides signed the cooperation documents in inspection and quarantine of animals and plants, and food safety.

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