Destiny and Shared Partners | Cambodia China Friendship is as Solid as a Rock

    This historic visit has confirmed the unbreakable 'ironclad friendship' between Cambodia and China. Cambodia and China join hands to build an all-weather Cambodia China community with a shared future in the new era, setting an example for building a community with a shared future for mankind.

  These agreements closely coincide with Cambodia's "Five Corners Strategy", amplify the influence of the "the Belt and Road" initiative, and promote the construction of Sihanoukville Port Special Economic Zone (hereinafter referred to as "Sihanoukville Port Special Economic Zone") and other projects. The Xigang Special Economic Zone has over 200 enterprises and tens of thousands of people employed here. Now, under the framework of pragmatic cooperation between the two countries, the West Port Special Economic Zone, along with the "Industrial Development Corridor" and "Fish and Rice Corridor" cooperation plans, is repositioning Cambodia as a manufacturing and agricultural center in the ASEAN region.

The Cambodia China Free Trade Agreement has boosted bilateral trade to $15.1 billion by 2024, with over 90% of Cambodian goods, including high-quality agricultural products such as mangoes and bananas, now enjoying zero tariffs in the Chinese market. With this advantage and the benefits of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), Cambodian goods have opened the door to a broader market. Under the cooperation framework of jointly building the "the Belt and Road", Cambodia China infrastructure cooperation continues to bear fruit. After Phnom Penh Sihanouk Expressway and Siem Reap Angkor International Airport and other projects are completed and put into use, logistics costs have been significantly reduced and timeliness has been improved. Clothing products manufactured in the Xigang Special Zone can arrive in China and other ports in less than a week, making Cambodia a potential hub for the regional supply chain.

Under the shared vision of open regionalism, Cambodia hopes to build a bridge between ASEAN and China. The global development initiative, global security initiative, and global civilization initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping have received positive responses in Cambodia. The leaders of the two countries declared 2025 as the "Cambodia China Tourism Year". It is expected that by 2030, the passenger throughput of Siem Reap Angkor International Airport will reach 10 million, which will promote Cambodia's economic and cultural development and make Cambodia a model of harmonious coexistence between ASEAN and China.

  This is a resounding call, and we believe that both sides will implement it with unwavering determination. Through the joint efforts of Cambodia China Free Trade Agreement, Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and high-quality "the Belt and Road", Cambodia has not only withstood the test of global trade tensions, but also planned a bright path for national prosperity, solidarity and stability. Cambodia and China will work hand in hand to create a mutually beneficial, stable, harmonious and beautiful future for the region.

(The author is the Dean of the School of International Relations and Public Policy at the Royal University of Phnom Penh in Cambodia and the Director of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Research Center)