Xi's visit marks new characterization of China-Cambodia ties

China

Xi's visit marks new characterization of China-Cambodia ties

2025-04-18 19:42 Last Updated At：04-19 14:57

President Xi Jinping's just-concluded state visit to Cambodia has seen the two neighboring countries give a fresh characterization of their relationship, after the leaders of both sides agreed to build an all-weather China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era.

At the invitation of King Norodom Sihamoni, Xi paid a state visit to Cambodia from Thursday to Friday. This was his second trip to the country in nine years, and also the third and final leg of his three-nation Southeast Asia tour that began on Monday.

Xi's visit took place on the jubilant occasion of the 20th anniversary of King Sihamoni's coronation and the Khmer New Year.

Upon his arrival at the airport in Phnom Penh on Thursday morning, Xi was accorded the nation's highest honor by King Sihamoni -- a testament to the millennia-old friendship between China and Cambodia.

Xi attended a grand welcome ceremony hosted by Sihamoni, during which the president, accompanied by the king, inspected the Guard of Honor. Hundreds of cheering people, waving the Chinese and Cambodian national flags and holding celebratory banners, gathered at the airport to welcome Xi.

Adding to the atmosphere were lively lion dance performances and more than 20,000 local people, along with representatives of overseas Chinese, Chinese-funded enterprises and Chinese students, who lined the streets to warmly welcome the president, as his motorcade drove from the airport to the hotel.

Xi met separately with Sihamoni, Cambodian People's Party President and Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen, and Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk, and held talks with Prime Minister Hun Manet. During his sit-downs with these key Cambodian figures, Xi gave his keen assessment of the China-Cambodia relationship and made important remarks on how the two countries should cement their ties and cooperation in the new era.

When meeting with Sihamoni at the Royal Palace, Xi said that China and Cambodia set a model for equality, mutual trust and win-win cooperation between countries of different sizes.

He said that China cherishes its friendship with the Cambodian royal family and highly commends the important contributions made by the royal family to the cause of China-Cambodia friendship over the years.

Sihamoni presented Xi with "the Grand Necklace Order for National Independence of the Kingdom of Cambodia".

When meeting with Hun Sen at the Peace Palace, Xi said that building a China-Cambodia community with a shared future is a choice of history and the people.

Xi said that China is ready to engage in exchanges and mutual learning with Cambodia on major issues such as strengthening party building and advancing reform and development, and to deepen friendly cooperation between China's National People's Congress and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference with the National Assembly and Senate of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

The high-level exchanges between the two countries culminated with Xi and Hun Manet agreeing to build an all-weather China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era during their talks.

After the talks, the two leaders witnessed the exchange of more than 30 bilateral cooperation documents covering a wide range of areas. The two sides also issued a joint statement on building an all-weather China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era and implementing the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative.

The two countries presented a unified front and spoke with one voice against unilateralism and hegemonism, while reaffirming their commitment to practicing true multilateralism amid the headwinds from mounting protectionism and geopolitical tensions.

When meeting with the Queen Mother at the Royal Palace on Thursday evening, Xi called her a witness and promoter of the China-Cambodia friendship. For her part, the Queen Mother said Xi is the greatest friend of Cambodia, adding that she believes the ironclad friendship between the two countries will grow even deeper and firmer.

Xi also attended a welcome banquet hosted by the king on Thursday evening.

On Friday morning, Xi was seen off by Hun Sen, along with other Cambodian leaders and senior officials at the airport, where a grand farewell ceremony for the president was hosted by Hun Sen.

As Xi waved goodbye to the crowd and concluded his trip to the country, he, along with Cambodian leaders, have charted a new course for the development of bilateral relations, laying a solid foundation for the building of a community with a shared future among neighboring countries.

Iranian foreign minister says situation "fully under control," accuses Israeli intelligence of stoking unrest

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that the situation in Iran is "under total control" following violence linked to protests that spiked over the weekend.

Addressing foreign diplomats in Tehran, the foreign minister noted that armed terrorist groups had infiltrated the protests, attempting to divert them from their legitimate course. He claimed that evidence has been gathered showing Iranian security forces being shot at, with the aim of causing further casualties. He accused the United States and Israel of exploiting the unrest to interfere in Iran's internal affairs.

Araghchi further stated that the government is closely monitoring developments on the streets, emphasizing that "the situation has come under control." He also affirmed that internet services, curtailed during the unrest, would be restored after coordination with security agencies.

The government has engaged in dialogue with merchants and protest representatives and initiated reforms to address grievances related to price hikes and currency depreciation. Iran has taken a series of actions and measures to respond to the demands of peaceful demonstrators, the foreign minister said.

Earlier on Sunday, Araghchi said that clear evidence links recent riots and vandalism of public facilities in Iran to the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad. This came after former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo mentioned Mossad agents operating on Iran's streets in a social media post. The Iranian foreign minister asserted that police are being attacked by "terrorists" acting under the direction of Israeli operatives, whom Pompeo publicly acknowledged.

The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and U.S. sanctions.