President sees visit as 'going to the home of a good friend'

President Xi Jinping has called on China and Cambodia to "strive together" and "thrive together", in order to promote steady and sustained progress in building a China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era.

Xi made the remarks in a signed article published by Cambodian media, including the Khmer Times, a leading English-language newspaper in Cambodia, as he started a state visit to the country on Thursday.

Xi described the visit, his second in nine years, as "going to the home of a good friend", saying he wanted to use the visit to spearhead progress in building a China-Cambodia community with a shared future.

In the article, Xi recalled the friendly exchanges since ancient times between the two neighboring countries, as well as the friendship forged by Cambodia's King Father Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk and late Chairman Mao Zedong and premier Zhou Enlai, among the elder generations of Chinese leaders.

"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," he said.

Xi highlighted that the China-Cambodia community with a shared future is deeply rooted in the historical legacy of good-neighborly relations, founded upon inclusiveness and mutual learning, defined by the countries' mutual commitment to friendship and righteousness, and powered by equality and mutual benefit.

China has been Cambodia's largest trading partner and largest source of investment for many years, with the two nations' industrial and supply chain cooperation continuously deepening.

Among various projects of bilateral cooperation, the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone has drawn more than 200 international companies to establish operations, laying a solid groundwork for Cambodia's industrial modernization. In addition, the China-Cambodia Friendship Poverty Alleviation Demonstration Village project has been completed.

"We must strive together and thrive together. We must act as pioneers and pacesetters in translating the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative from vision into reality," Xi said.

"To jointly safeguard our political security, we should strengthen communication on matters of strategic importance such as foreign policy and national defense, and resolutely oppose any attempts by external forces to interfere in our internal affairs, sow discord or undermine China-Cambodia friendship," Xi said.

"We should also jointly safeguard the multilateral trading system, advance industrial and supply chain cooperation, enhance cooperation in advanced manufacturing, green development, the digital economy and other areas, and make the Diamond Hexagon cooperation shine better and stronger."

To advance modernization in both countries, the two nations should forge greater synergy between the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and Cambodia's Pentagonal Strategy, and advance the development of the Industrial and Technological Corridor and the Fish and Rice Corridor, Xi said.

In the article, he also called on both countries to work together toward a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful, amicable and harmonious Asian home.