Cambodian PM meets with Chinese foreign minister, defense minister

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Defense Minister Dong Jun on Wednesday in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, vowing to further deepen bilateral ties and cooperation.

Wang and Dong are in Cambodia for the first meeting between foreign ministers and defense ministers of China and Cambodia under the "2+2" strategic dialog mechanism.

Hun Manet said Cambodia firmly adheres to a friendly policy with China and resolutely upholds the one-China principle.

He said Cambodia looks forward to close high-level exchanges with China, expanding institutional dialogs, and deepening practical cooperation in clean energy, agriculture, infrastructure, talent cultivation and other areas.

He added that Cambodia welcomes Chinese enterprises to invest in the country and resolutely combats online gambling and telecom fraud, and is willing to strengthen cooperation with China in this regard.

The prime minister said Cambodia is willing to closely coordinate and cooperate with China on multilateral platforms, foremost the United Nations, to jointly safeguard multilateralism.

Wang said that in the face of a tense and chaotic external environment, China and Cambodia need to strengthen solidarity and cooperation more than ever before.

He said that China will continue to deepen strategic mutual trust, promote all-round cooperation, and contribute to the development, revitalization, and long-term stability of both countries.

Wang said that both sides should maintain high-level exchanges, jointly promote the construction of the "Industrial Development Corridor" and the "Fish and Rice Corridor," and help Cambodia enhance its capacity for independent development.

Both sides must resolutely crack down on and completely eradicate cross-border online gambling and telecom fraud. The two sides should firmly support each other in international multilateral affairs and work together to uphold fairness and justice, Wang said.

Dong briefed on the cooperation between the defense ministries of China and Cambodia.

During the meeting, Hun Manet briefed on the situation regarding the Cambodia-Thailand border conflict and expressed his hope that China would play a greater role in advancing peace talks.

Wang said that China is willing to continue to build more platforms for the resumption of exchanges and direct dialog between Cambodia and Thailand.

Cambodian PM meets with Chinese foreign minister, defense minister

As part of the celebrations marking the 77th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army Navy, China's first domestically designed and built navigation training ship Zheng He will be opened to the public on Saturday and Sunday in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province.

Over nearly 39 years of service, Zheng He has trained over 40,000 naval officers for the Chinese PLA Navy, and is recognized as the cradle of naval commanders. With its voyages spanning six continents and three oceans, the ship has completed solo circumnavigation missions, setting multiple records, and has been honored with the title of "Meritorious Training Ship."

"Ship Zheng He, officially commissioned in 1987, will celebrate its 39th birthday next week. Look at this photo. In 1989, we visited Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, USA, for the first time on behalf of the People's Navy. That mission was also the first time that a People's Navy vessel crossed both the eastern and western hemispheres. Since the ship was commissioned 39 years ago, it has gone abroad on behalf of the People's Navy 16 times and visited 29 countries, including Russia, Republic of Korea, and Japan. Especially during the Harmonious Mission: Global Voyage of Zheng He in 2012, we visited more than 10 countries and set a record for the navy's single-ship global circumnavigation," said Wang Jianglin, a crew member of Ship Zheng He.

In addition to various types of weapon launching systems, Ship Zheng He is also equipped with navigation radar and can carry out teaching and training programs across more than 30 subjects at the same time.

"There are differences and connections between our training ships and combat ships. Take me for example. First of all, I am a qualified crew member. I need to perform regular duties on the ship and maintain the equipment. I am also a coach during the internships of students on board the ship. I teach students how to operate and use equipment, as well as giving some daily lectures. I am also a combatant. Our main task is to help students apply the knowledge they learn in the classroom to real combat on the battlefield, which solves the 'last mile' problem from campus to troops. Finally, I am also a commander. We should not only be able to fight and teach, but also be resourceful and be good commanders in our own positions," said Cheng Jialin, a crew member of Ship Zheng He.

China's naval training ship Zheng He to open to public celebrating Navy's 77th anniversary