The Cambodian army and the land-based service branch of the Communist Party of China’s (CPC) armed wing have struck a deal aimed at strengthening cooperation and forging long-lasting relations based on the foundations of equality and mutual interests.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was virtually signed to this end on March 31 by Royal Cambodian Army (RCA) commander Lieutenant General Hun Manet and his People's Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF) counterpart General Liu Zhenli, the Information Department under the Cambodian Ministry of National Defence reported on April 1.

During the online meeting, both army commanders voiced pride in the friendly relations – underpinned by trust and mutual respect – and close cooperation in all fields between the two countries and peoples, the report said.

The department said that the ties between the two countries bring about common development, cooperation on the basis of a comprehensive strategic partnership and a “friendship of steel”, and support the building of a Sino-Cambodian community of common destiny, it said, adding that bilateral cooperation has been exemplified by mutual support during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The document [MoU] is an important foundation that paves the way for the promotion of cooperation on significant sectors to another level. This event can be regarded as another page of history in the relationship of the two armies,” the Information Department said, without elaborating on the details of the deal.