Prime Minister Hun Sen will pay a state visit to Beijing from February 9-11 to meet with Chinese leaders and sign documents that officials say will advance the “community of common destiny” initiative.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hun Sen will pay separate courtesy calls on Chinese President Xi Jinping and Li Zhanshu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.
He will also hold bilateral talks with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to exchange views and discuss bilateral ties and cooperation as well as issues of common interest and concern in the region and beyond.
The ministry’s February 7 press release said they will also preside over a signing ceremony of a number of cooperation documents.
“The upcoming visit of [Hun Sen] to [China] will offer an opportunity for both governments to further advance the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership [CSP] and deepen the building of the Cambodia-China community of common destiny for the mutual benefit of the two nations and peoples,” it said.
On January 14, Hun Sen said that his upcoming visit would demonstrate solidarity with China at a time when many countries around the world have restricted entry for Chinese nationals on the grounds that the coronavirus spread rapidly through the population, after the Chinese government lifted its “zero-Covid” restrictions.
On February 6, the foreign ministry rejected a report by US Congress-funded Voice of America, which said Hun Sen is visiting China to seek out tens of millions of dollars in loans.
Yang Peou, secretary-general of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, told The Post that Hun Sen’s visit will coincide with the 65th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic relations.
The visit will add weight to the CSP in many areas such as regional and global politics, regional geopolitical issues and bilateral issues, he said.
“If China helps Cambodia to stand firm in Southeast Asia, then it will appear that China has stood firm in Southeast Asia as well. Therefore, it is important that China help Cambodia to strengthen the capacity of the economy,” he said.
