By Wang Longqin

A Brief History of China-Cambodia Friendship

By Wang Longqin

China and Cambodia are friendly neighbors and have enjoyed positive relations that have stood the test of time. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, their traditional friendship fostered by successive leaders of both countries has remained strong despite a changing international landscape.

1955

IN APRIL 1955, Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai met with Cambodian Prince Norodom Sihanouk at the Asian-African Conference held in Bandung, Indonesia, which was regarded as a new beginning of Sino-Cambodian friendly relations.

1958

ON JULY 19, 1958, China and Cambodia formally established diplomatic relations.

1992

IN APRIL 1992, China sent troops to Cambodia to carry out peacekeeping missions.

1993

IN 1993, the freely elected Royal Government of Cambodia was formed, and China-Cambodia relations entered a new stage of development. High-level visits between the two countries became frequent, and bilateral cooperation in political, economic, cultural, educational and military fields continuously strengthened. The two sides also maintained close coordination on international and regional affairs.

2000

IN NOVEMBER 2000, Chinese President Jiang Zemin conducted a state visit to Cambodia. The two sides signed a joint statement on bilateral cooperation, confirming further development of the good neighborly and friendly relations between the two countries in the new century.

2002

IN NOVEMBER 2002, Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji visited Cambodia. Leaders of the two countries agreed to take agriculture, human resources development and infrastructure construction as key areas for bilateral cooperation. The Chinese government also declared that all the due debts of Cambodia would be remitted.

2006

IN APRIL 2006, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao conducted an official visit to Cambodia, and the two sides issued a joint communique announcing the establishment of a comprehensive partnership.

2008

THE YEAR 2008 marked the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Cambodia. In August that year, Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, King Father Norodom Sihanouk and Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk attended the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games.

2010

IN DECEMBER 2010, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen visited China, and the relations between the two countries were upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

2012

AT THE END OF MARCH 2012, Chinese President Hu Jintao paid a state visit to Cambodia, and the two sides issued a joint statement.

2012

ON OCT. 15, 2012, Cambodian King Father Norodom Sihanouk died in Beijing. The Chinese government sent a special plane to carry his body to Phnom Penh. In February 2013, Jia Qinglin, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and CPPCC Chairman, attended Norodom Sihanouk’s funeral in Cambodia.

2013

IN APRIL 2013, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen conducted an official visit to China and attended the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2013.

2014

ON NOV. 7, 2014, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

2015

IN SEPTEMBER 2015, Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni came to China to attend a ceremony commemorating the 70th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the end of World War II.

2016

IN MARCH 2016, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen came to China to attend the first Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Leaders’ Meeting and the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2016.

AT THE BEGINNING OF JUNE 2016, during King Norodom Sihamoni‘s state visit to China, China and Cambodia reached a consensus to consolidate good-neighborly friendship and deepen mutually-beneficial cooperation so as to push forward bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership.

FROM JULY 2016 ONWARD, Cambodia has taken an objective and impartial stance on the South China Sea issue, playing an irreplaceable role in defending the rule of international law and regional order and maintaining overall China-ASEAN relations and regional peace and stability.