Hun Sen visit 'another key milestone'

PM's trip demonstrates long-standing, strong relations with China, experts say

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's visit to China is another key milestone in bilateral ties, demonstrating the two countries' long-standing and strong relations, experts say.

Hun Sen's visit is important because this year marks the 65th anniversary of bilateral ties and the China-Cambodia Friendship Year, said Chheang Vannarith, president of the think tank Asian Vision Institute in Phnom Penh.

"(It is) the first foreign leader's visit to China after Chinese New Year," Chheang told China Daily, noting that Hun Sen's visit will open a new chapter in bilateral relations.

Leading a high-level delegation, Hun Sen arrived in China on Thursday to begin a three-day official visit.

The visit to China will offer both governments an opportunity to advance their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and deepen the building of the China-Cambodia community with a shared future for the mutual benefit of the two peoples and nations, said a post on Hun Sen's official Facebook page on Thursday.

Noting that Hun Sen's visit speaks to the high quality of China-Cambodia relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Monday that Chinese leaders will meet and hold talks with him, exchanging in-depth views on bilateral relations and regional and international issues of common interest.

Important timing

The timing of the visit is also important because it marks the third year since Hun Sen's last visit to China in February 2020, when he was the first foreign leader to visit China after COVID-19 broke out, said Digby James Wren, senior special adviser to the Institute of International Relations of Cambodia of the Royal Academy of Cambodia.

"Cambodia was able to handle (COVID-19) so well only because of Chinese assistance with the vaccines, medical care and equipment, and so forth," Wren told China Daily.

Noting that China and Cambodia have described their friendship as an "ironclad brotherhood", Wren said the two countries have built a very long-standing, strong and constructive relationship, with their cooperation penetrating various areas.

Chheang said he expects Hun Sen to sign a series of new agreements in areas, such as infrastructure cooperation, tourism and agriculture, during his visit.

Chheang also said he hopes the two countries can further address technical issues in nontariff barriers and improve market access of Cambodian agricultural products to China, now that the China-Cambodia free trade agreement is in force.

While some media reports have alleged a so-called debt trap in relation to Cambodia's cooperation with China, Chheang said loans from China, the main donor and lender to Cambodia, are in a very stable and healthy condition.

The Cambodian Foreign Ministry denied a report by Voice of America on Monday that Hun Sen scheduled the visit to China to seek tens of millions of dollars in loans, raising concerns over a "debt trap".

"Despite having been given several explanations previously, the reporters of VOA intentionally ignored these clarifications and continued to play what is called dirty politics to undermine Cambodia-China relations," Foreign Ministry spokesman An Sokkhoeurn was quoted by The Phnom Penh Post as saying.

Wren said the economy will remain the key focus in ties between China and Cambodia, and he sees a great contribution from Chinese investment and technology to Cambodia's development, with the country preparing to graduate from Least Developed Country status.

Wren said China and Cambodia have already set an example of building a community with a shared future, attracting attention from other countries.

Wren also said he looks forward to seeing productive results from the relationship between China and Cambodia in areas including security, education, free trade and technology.

kelly@chinadailyapac.com