Top Chinese diplomat in Kingdom to push BRI projects
Top Chinese diplomat in Kingdom to push BRI projects
Coinciding with the Cambodia-China exchange year, Beijing dispatched its foreign minister to take part in the seventh intergovernmental coordination committee (ICC) meeting between the two countries, which aims to effectively implement projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) from April 21 to 23.
Since Prime Minister Hun Manet assumed office, this is the second time Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, has paid official trip to the Kingdom.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MFAIC), Wang will be granted a royal audience at the Royal Palace by King Norodom Sihamoni. He will also pay courtesy calls to former Prime Minister Hun Sen, the new President of the Senate and Prime Minister Hun Manet.
Further, the Chinese Foreign Minister and Sun Chanthol, Deputy Prime Minister and First Vice-Chairman of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) will co-chair the ‘Seventh Cambodia-China ICC meeting’ to effectively carry out projects under the BRI introduced by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Wang is also scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Sok Chenda Sophea, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of MFAIC to exchange views on further consolidating close and excellent bilateral ties spanning wide-ranging areas.
Based on the Department of Information of MFAIC, the visit coincided with the Cambodia-China People-to-People Exchange Year and will contribute to further strengthening the ironclad friendship as well as the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Cooperation.
The objectives are to deepen the building of a high-quality, high-level and high-standard community with a shared future, promoting the Diamond Cooperation framework and stimulating collaboration across regional and international platforms, thus mutually benefiting the two nations and their peoples, the statement added.
Lin Jian, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) last week announced that Wang’s trip happens as China is stepping up its diplomacy with Southeast Asian nations amid tightening strategic competition with the United States in the Asia-Pacific region.
Speaking to Khmer Times, Lor Vichet, Vice President of Cambodia Chinese Commerce Association said, “The latest visit of China’s top diplomat to the region is to strengthen existing bilateral cooperation mechanisms as well as to further promote high-quality projects under the BRI aimed at accelerating physical infrastructure development.
The presence of the Chinese Foreign Minister will also enhance regional economic integration to achieve the common prosperity objective as well as attach China’s commitments to enhance trade and investment vis-à-vis countries within the region to achieve mutual benefit and shared development, he added.
In mid-August 2023 – a week before Mr Hun Manet officially become the Premier – Wang held a meeting with Sun Chanthol, Deputy Prime Minister and First Vice-Chairman of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) where he committed to provide 300 million yuan, equivalent of $41.34 million, to develop high-speed railway infrastructure connecting the Kingdom to Thailand, Laos and China.
According to sources in the CDC, the 7th Cambodia-China ICC is a joint committee that the two nations organised to discuss various issues and tomorrow [April 22] CDC will meet with the Chinese Foreign Minister as we have a lot of things to work on; after the discussion, the two parties will issue a joint statement to confirm the result of the meeting to the public.
Khmer Times tried to contact the MFAIC spokesperson for comments but could not reach them till the time of filing this report.
