Top Chinese diplomat meets Cambodia's premier-designate

ANKARA

Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Cambodian Prime Minister-designate Kitti Tesaphibal Hun Manet on Sunday to discuss bilateral relations.

Hun Manet met Wang Yi at Peace Palace in the capital Phnom Penh this noon, Cambodia's Prime Minister's Office said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

The Chinese government has reaffirmed its support to the new royal government of Cambodia under the leadership of Hun Manet, another post said.

The new premier, the son of Cambodia's outgoing leader, Hun Sen, is set to take oath on Aug. 22.

Hun Sen, who is set to step down after 38 years in office, is in the process of handing over power to his son, Hun Manet, after their Cambodian People's Party swept an election last month from which the main opposition was barred.

Being the first foreign dignitary to meet the new setup, Wang also attended a luncheon hosted by Hun Sen.

On the last leg of his Southeast Asia tour which has taken him to Singapore and Malaysia, Wang earlier met with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister-designate Sok Chenda Sophea on Saturday, during which the two sides pledged to boost bilateral ties, Beijing-based Xinhua News reported.

Dubbing Wang's visit as "the most timely and powerful support for Cambodia," Sophea said that China has always given a "helping hand" to Phnom Penh at critical moments "to help the Southeast Asian country achieve peace, stability, development, and revitalization, which has strengthened its confidence and ability to safeguard independence."

Observing that bilateral cooperation has helped Cambodia rapidly improve people's livelihood, Sophea said Cambodia looks forward to working with China to continuously enhance the strategic nature of Cambodia-China relations, expand cooperation areas and set a good example for high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said the traditional friendship between China and Cambodia, forged by the older generation of leaders of the two countries, is long-tested and ironclad, which is the most valuable asset of both sides and deserves to be cherished.

The two sides also exchanged views to deepen cooperation between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), maintain close communication and coordination, support ASEAN centrality, and promote regional peace, stability, and development.