Experts laud Cambodia-China relations in new era

PHNOM PENH -- Experts on Saturday lauded Cambodia-China relations in a new era, saying that bilateral ties have enjoyed mutually beneficial cooperation and win-win results.

During an event on "Cambodia-China Relations in the New Era," Eng Kokthay, director of the Techo Legacy and Policy School, said bilateral relations have steadily developed over the past decades, with remarkable fruits achieved.

He said that as the world has faced a number of challenges in recent years, China has actively and consistently promoted a neighborhood diplomacy to preserve peace, security and development in the region and beyond.

Kokthay said this policy has been further consolidated in the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Neak Chandarith, director of the Cambodia 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Research Center of the Royal University of Phnom Penh, said Chinese investment has dramatically transformed Cambodia's urban landscape, particularly in the capital Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville.

"Chinese investment has transformed Sihanoukville from quiet seaside province into a bustling hub for Chinese tourists and investors," he said.

"A cornerstone of China-Cambodia economic cooperation, the Sihanoukville Special Economy Zone has transformed Cambodia's industrial landscape since its establishment," Chandarith said.

The Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway has reduced logistics costs by 40 percent and transformed the quiet coastal city into a major industrial hub, he added.

Chandarith said China has been the largest source of foreign direct investment to and the biggest trading partner of Cambodia, playing a crucial role in the country's economic and trade development.

As 2025 has been designated as the Cambodia-China Year of Tourism, Chandarith predicted that the number of Chinese tourists to the Southeast Asian country would significantly increase this year.

Diep Sophal, a history professor at the University of Cambodia, said an iron-clad friendship between the two countries is unbreakable and will be even stronger and closer in the future.

Sophal said bilateral ties have been built on the principles of mutual respect, trust and support, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, mutual benefit, win-win cooperation, and shared prosperity.

Pay Sambo, secretary general of the Civil Society Alliance Forum (CSAF), said Cambodian and Chinese non-governmental organizations have also cooperated well with each other in the areas of humanitarian assistance and poverty alleviation.