King Norodom Sihamoni – accompanied by the Queen Mother – is set to take off for China today, for a regularly scheduled doctor’s visit which typically entails two to three weeks away from the country, an aide said.

Stressing that the trip had nothing to do with politics, Sisowath Thomico, former personal secretary of the late King Father Norodom Sihanouk and Queen Mother Norodom Monineath, said the visit had been scheduled ahead of time.

“The King sees his doctor twice a year,” Thomico said.

Last week, amid growing tensions, the King released a statement imploring the two main political parties to work out their differences peacefully.

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy has called for large protests if final election results don’t reflect a win, leading the government to move untold numbers of tanks toward the capital for “security”. Today, the NEC is set to announce final preliminary results, though final results don’t come until September 8 and a joint investigation by the parties is still pending.