Former Prime Minister Hun Sen during his visit to China in February 2022. SPM
Former Prime Minister Hun Sen, president of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), is leading a high-level delegation to the annual Boao Forum in China’s Hainan province from March 27-29, where common challenges and shared responsibility for Asia and the world will be discussed.
According to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hun Sen was invited by Li Baodong, secretary-general of the Boao Forum for Asia. He is accompanied by a high-level government delegation.
“[Hun Sen] will deliver a speech at the opening of the conference, themed: “Asia and the World: Common Challenges, Shared Responsibilities,” said the release.
“The forum brings together government, business and academic leaders from regional and global organisations to discuss major development issues and promote international cooperation,” it added.
Hun Sen is set to meet with senior Chinese leaders, including Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, and General He Weidong, a member of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Political Bureau and Second Vice-Chairman of the Central Military Commission.
He will also meet Feng Fei, secretary of the CPC’s Hainan Provincial Committee.
During the visit, Hun Sen will visit the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences and Wenchang International Aerospace City, in order to foster cooperation between Cambodia and China in the fields of agricultural development and technology.
Kith Meng, president of the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce (CCC) who also serves as chair of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council for Cambodia, will also attend the forum, according to the CCC.
Meng will meet for discussions with his Chinese counterparts and several relevant institutions to strengthen private sector ties and push trade and investment between the two countries.
The CCC and the Boao Forum co-hosted a forum in Phnom Penh in 2018 under the theme of “Seeking common development and a win-win strategy: A joint endeavour to bring China-Cambodia economic cooperation and trade into a new era”.
Kin Phea, director of the Royal Academy of Cambodia’s International Relations Institute, described the forum as significant for the Kingdom, noting that it will solidify bilateral relations with China, as well as providing opportunities for members of Hun Sen’s delegation to meet for talks with the Chinese side for mutual interests.
“Another important aspect is that [Hun Sen] will meet for bilateral and multilateral meetings regarding Cambodia’s interests, because the forum will be attended by several heads of state and senior government officials, in addition to international organisations,” he said.
Phea expects that Hun Sen will deliver a speech about Cambodia’s position amid the many challenges facing Asia and the wider world. He believes Hun Sen would share his vision on how responsibility should be shared to find solutions to these challenges.
