The bilateral relationship between Cambodia and China has been
strengthened and deepened remarkably since the establishment of
diplomatic ties, Cambodia's foreign minister has said in a written
statement exclusively for Xinhua.
Hor Namhong, also deputy prime minister, said the two countries
regularly exchanged visits at all levels, including frequent
high-level visits.
"Both sides have a mechanism of consultation and cooperation
between the two ministries of foreign affairs for international
issues," he said.
He reiterated the country's consistent support for the one-China
policy and the principle of "one country, two systems."
Meanwhile, China had given assistance to Cambodia in different
forms, he said.
"Between 2000 and 2006, a total of 312 million yuan (around
US$39 million) of grant aid has been provided to Cambodia, covering
major sectors such as agriculture, health, elections and
infrastructure projects," Namhong said.
"For the same period, a total of 760 million yuan (around US$95
million) of soft loans had been granted to Cambodia for
infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, government
buildings, telecommunications networks and a hydro dam," he
said.
Both sides pledged to increase the annual volume of trade to
US$1 billion by 2010, he said.
In the tourism sector, the Chinese formed a significant portion
of foreign visitors to Cambodia, he added.
Cambodia, a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN), will take part in a commemorative summit on Oct. 30-31 in
Nanning, South China, to mark the 15th anniversary of establishing
dialogue relations between ASEAN and China.
(Xinhua News Agency October 23, 2006)