BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping announced Friday that his country is ready to forge a security partnership with Cambodia, making the declaration during a face-to-face meeting in Beijing with Hun Sen, who serves as president of Cambodia’s Senate.
According to China’s state-run news agency Xinhua, Xi described the current international and regional climate as going through “complex and profound changes,” and said the two nations should join forces to bring greater stability to peace and development across the region.
Several key points emerged from the meeting:
Xi stated that China has consistently treated Cambodia as a top priority in its relationships with neighboring countries, and that Beijing stands firmly behind Cambodia’s right to protect its own sovereignty and national security.
The Chinese president urged both sides to elevate their foundation of strategic trust “to a new height.”
Xi also commended Cambodia for its efforts to combat telecommunications and online fraud, pledging that China would partner with Cambodia to wipe out what he referred to as the “tumour” of such criminal activity.
Hun Sen’s trip to China, which Beijing had previously characterized as an official “goodwill” visit, is scheduled to last from June 25 through June 27.
The two countries held their first-ever meeting under a “2+2” Strategic Dialogue Mechanism back in April, bringing together foreign and defense ministers from both nations to address political and security matters.
