Premier of the State Council of China Li Keqiang said that Cambodia-China relations and cooperation had been ongoing for more than a thousand years, and that China will continue to support the preservation of the temples of Cambodia.

Li Keqiang presided over the handover ceremony of the Takeo Temple Restoration Project on November 10 alongside Chea Sophara, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction, who represented Prime Minister Hun Sen.

“Cambodia-China cooperation has been going on for more than a thousand years, with many diaries and history books telling the story of the two countries' civilizations,” he was quoted as saying by the Apsara National Authority (ANA).

According to the ANA, the restoration project was an international cooperation project between Cambodia and China implemented by the Chinese Government Team for Safeguarding Angkor (CSA). It started in 2011 and ended in 2018.

Li Keqiang said he was optimistic that the restoration project would bring many benefits to Cambodia. It will also benefit the cooperation between the two countries and the exchange of civilizations around the world.

“China will continue cooperating with Cambodia to preserve temples and promoting economic and cultural exchanges which promote people-to-people ties,” he was quoted as saying.

Thanking China for the assistance, Sophara said China would continue to play an active role in the conservation and protection of the Kingdom’s cultural heritage. The two sides have been working closely on economic, trade, and tourism development in Cambodia as well as supporting the ASEAN-China partnership within the ASEAN framework since its early stages.

According to the ANA, Chinese assistance for temple preservation dates back to 1993 at various temples in the Angkor Archeological Park.