Together We Strive, Together We Thrive: Toward a Stable and Sustainable China-Cambodia Com
munity with a Shared Future in the New EraH.E. Xi JinpingPresident of the People’s Republi
c of ChinaFor Cambodian pressI am very happy to visit Cambodia on the occasion of the Khme
r New Year. For me, it feels like going to the home of a good friend. I wish to extend my
warmest New Year greetings to our brothers and sisters in Cambodia. This is my second visi
t to your country in nine years. I sincerely hope this visit will spearhead progress in bu
ilding a China-Cambodia community with a shared future. Our community with a shared future
is deeply rooted in the historic legacy of good-neighborly relations. Thanks to our geogr
aphical proximity, our friendly exchange spans two millennia of our shared history. During
China’s Tang Dynasty (618-907), members of Chenla’s royal family visited China’s then cap
ital city of Chang’an, where they were warmly received as Binhan, meaning "guest of honor.
" In the following centuries, the ties between the two nations grew ever stronger and clos
er. Chinese ceramics and lacquerware were shipped to Cambodia via the maritime silk road,
while Cambodian spices, raw silk and other specialty products were highly popular among Ch
inese people, as evidenced by the Bayon Temple bas-reliefs, which capture the vibrant trad
e that flourished between the two countries in history. Many renowned Cambodian monks trav
elled to China to spread Buddhist teachings and scriptures. The Customs of Cambodia, a boo
k written by Chinese diplomat Zhou Daguan of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), is an important
literature for studies of Cambodian history. The great Chinese and Khmer civilizations ha
ve flourished together, inspiring each other through centuries. Our community with a share
d future is defined by our mutual commitment to friendship and righteousness. The friendsh
ip was forged by His Majesty Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk and Chairman Mao Zedong, Premi
er Zhou Enlai, among the elder generations of Chinese leaders. Seventy years ago, His Maje
sty Samdech Preah Sihanouk and Premier Zhou met at the Bandung Conference and immediately
bonded like old friends. Defying all odds, Cambodia established diplomatic relations with
the People’s Republic of China in 1958. China stood steadfastly with Cambodia in its just
struggle against foreign invasion and for national sovereignty and independence. Together,
the two countries have shared the rough times and the smooth and consistently supported e
ach other in times of need. His Majesty Samdech Preah Sihanouk lived in China for nearly 4
0 years, embracing China as his home away from home. He had written and composed many song
s in tribute to the China-Cambodia friendship, such as Nostalgia of China. His songs are s
till widely sung today. His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni and Her Majesty Queen Mother Nor
odom Monineath Sihanouk visit China almost every year. We have met many times, sharing war
m conversations about our families and life. In 2020, I presented Her Majesty Queen Mother
Norodom Monineath Sihanouk with the Friendship Medal of the People’s Republic of China. T
his deeply meaningful medal embodies the profound friendship of the Chinese people toward
the people of Cambodia. Upon the outbreak of COVID-19, the pandemic of the century, the th
en Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen braved the snow and wind to visit Beijing. China d
ispatched medical teams to provide emergency assistance to Cambodia. The two countries pro
vided each other with a large amount of medical supplies. In the face of complex regional
and international developments, we support each other in safeguarding our respective core
interests, and work together to uphold international fairness and justice. Our two nations
have forged an ironclad friendship. Our community with a shared future is powered by equa
lity and mutual benefit. For many years, China has been Cambodia’s largest trading partner
and largest source of investment, and our industrial and supply chain cooperation has con
tinued to deepen. Thanks to the China-Cambodia free trade agreement, premium agricultural
products from Cambodia, including banana, mango and longan, are finding their way into Chi
nese households. The Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone, developed through China-Cambodia
cooperation, has drawn more than 200 international companies to establish operations, lay
ing a solid groundwork for Cambodia’s industrial modernization. China-supported infrastruc
ture projects, such as Cambodia’s first expressway, first viaduct across a river valley, l
argest power plant and largest stadium, have brought the Cambodian people tangible benefit
s and strongly bolstered the long-term development of the country. Chinese experts have he
lped formulate Cambodia’s modern agricultural development plans on the basis of their exte
nsive field trips in the country. The China-Cambodia Diamond Hexagon cooperation has boost
ed Cambodia’s development.Our community with a shared future is founded upon inclusiveness
and mutual learning. Over the past 30 years, China has sent many experts across diverse f
ields—including archaeology, geological exploration, cultural heritage, history, architect
ure and the arts—who have dedicated themselves to the restoration of Chau Say Tevoda Templ
e, Ta Keo Temple and the ancient Royal Palace of Angkor. They have helped bring renewed sp
lendor to the Angkor legacy, a gem of human civilizations. More and more Chinese tourists
are travelling to Cambodia to experience its rich history and culture while more and more
Cambodian friends are learning Chinese to better appreciate the charm of the time-honored
Chinese civilization and understand Chinese modernization. Over the years, with Chinese as
sistance, a number of friendship roads have been built and clean water-pumping wells drill
ed to improve the well-being of local people. The project of the China-Cambodia Friendship
Poverty Alleviation Demonstration Village is completed. Thanks to the treatment by tradit
ional Chinese medicine teams, a hearing-impaired girl articulated "Mama" for the first tim
e, and a wheelchair user got back on his feet.For nearly half a century, Asia has enjoyed
overall peace and stability and rapid economic growth, creating the Asian miracle in the h
istory of global development. As changes unseen in a century accelerate, Asia now stands a
t a new starting point of collective rise. Consistently following the principle of amity,
sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness and the policy of developing friendship and pa
rtnership with neighboring countries, China will deepen friendship and cooperation with th
em, extend the benefits of Chinese modernization to them, and work with them to jointly up
hold regional peace and stability and to advance modernization in Asia.As important member
s of the big Asian family, China and Cambodia must ride the tide of history and heed our p
eople’s aspirations. We must strive together and thrive together. We must act as pioneers
and pacesetters in translating the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Init
iative, and the Global Civilization Initiative from vision into reality. We must work toge
ther to promote the steady and sustained progress in building the China-Cambodia community
with a shared future in the new era.—Let us bring our mutual political trust to a higher
level. We should maintain frequent high-level exchanges and draw up a strategic blueprint
for the China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era. China firmly support
s Cambodia in independently choosing a development path that suits its own conditions, in
safeguarding its national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and in play
ing a greater role on the international stage. To jointly safeguard our political security
, we should strengthen communication on matters of strategic importance such as foreign po
licy and national defense, and resolutely oppose any attempts by external forces to interf
ere in our internal affairs, sow discord or undermine China-Cambodia friendship.—Let us ex
pand our mutually beneficial cooperation of higher quality. We must prioritize development
and keep people at the center. To advance modernization in both countries, we should maxi
mize the role of the China-Cambodia Intergovernmental Coordination Committee, forge greate
r synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Pentagonal Strategy, and advance th
e development of the Industrial and Technological Corridor and the Fish and Rice Corridor.
We should also jointly safeguard the multilateral trading system, advance industrial and
supply chain cooperation, enhance cooperation in advanced manufacturing, green development
, digital economy and other areas, and make the Diamond Hexagon cooperation shine better a
nd stronger.—Let us work together to ensure greater security. To foster a secure environme
nt for our respective development, we should strengthen exchange and cooperation in combat
ing external interference and separatist activities. We must guard against and resist "col
or revolutions," strengthen joint exercises and training, emergency management and securit
y cooperation on major Belt and Road projects, and crack down on telecom and cyber fraud a
nd other criminal activities. We must stay committed to the vision of common, comprehensiv
e, cooperative and sustainable security, build consensus on security concepts and approach
es, and jointly promote peace and tranquility in the region and the world at large.—Let us
have more frequent people-to-people exchanges. We should uphold solidarity and harmony, h
ave more cultural dialogues, increase experience sharing on state governance, expand diver
se forms of cooperation in areas of culture, tourism, youth exchange and protection and re
storation of cultural heritages, and promote people-to-people connectivity. We must champi
on the Asian values and humanity’s common values.—Let us strengthen strategic coordination
of higher standards. We should draw wisdom from the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexisten
ce and the Bandung Spirit, move faster to build a community of shared future of peace and
prosperity among Lancang-Mekong countries, and work together toward a peaceful, safe and s
ecure, prosperous, beautiful, amicable and harmonious Asian home. Together we must stand a
gainst hegemonism, power politics and camp-based confrontation, and defend the shared inte
rests of our two countries and other developing countries. We should advocate an equal and
orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalizatio
n, endeavor to safeguard world peace and stability and international fairness and justice,
jointly oppose protectionism, and defend an international environment of openness and coo
peration.As a Chinese verse goes, "True friendship, like refined gold, withstands all test
s of time." I firmly believe that with our joint efforts, the China-Cambodia ironclad frie
ndship, which has been tempered through trials of time and storms of adversity, will stay
true to its original purpose. China will work with Cambodia to safeguard peace, pursue dev
elopment and achieve shared prosperity, to make solid progress in building the China-Cambo
dia community with a shared future in the new era, and to bring greater stability and cert
ainty to this turbulent world.