BEIJING, China – Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet arrived in Beijing on Thursday for his first official visit outside the country since assuming office last month. The visit displays his country’s friendly relations with China, Cambodia’s most important political and economic ally.
According to Cambodia’s Foreign Ministry, Hun Manet was scheduled to visit Chinese President Xi Jinping and other officials in the capital and attend a weekend trade and investment fair in southern China.
According to a ministry statement, the two leaders will address strengthening bilateral ties by forming a “Cambodia-China Community,” strategic directions for bilateral relations, and regional and international issues.
Hun Manet and his wife, Pich Chanmony, were photographed walking down the stairs from a plane to a red carpet on an airport runway, where they were greeted by two children, a Chinese official, and others.
Hun Manet later lay a wreath at Tiananmen Square’s monument honoring those who died opposing foreign invaders and in the rallies and fights that brought China’s ruling Communist Party to power in 1949.
Cambodia is an important diplomatic partner and supporter of China in regional and international fora. It softens Beijing’s criticism inside the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, several of whose members are embroiled in territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet arrived in Beijing on Thursday for his first official visit outside the country since assuming office last month.
As seen by the numerous Chinese-funded projects, hotels, and casinos in the capital, Phnom Penh, and elsewhere, China has gained significant influence in Cambodian politics and the economy. China’s state banks have used Chinese funds to build airports, roads, and other infrastructure. China is responsible for over 40% of Cambodia’s $10 billion foreign debt.
Following his discussions in Beijing, Hun Manet planned to attend the 20th ASEAN-China Expo in Nanning, a regional center in southern China near the Vietnamese border, according to the Cambodian Foreign Ministry.
According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Chinese Premier Li Qiang will attend the expo, as will the prime ministers of Malaysia, Vietnam, and Laos, as well as top government officials from Indonesia and Thailand.
The exhibition fosters commercial, business, and tourism relations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet arrived in Beijing on Thursday for his first official visit outside the country since assuming office last month.
Hun Manet’s father, Hun Sen, who stepped down as prime minister last month after nearly four decades in power, fostered Cambodia’s tight ties with Beijing. His Cambodia People’s Party has a stranglehold on power, aided by Hun Sen’s dictatorial rule and deft political maneuverings that have rendered any viable opposition ineffective.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Cambodia shortly after Hun Sen announced his retirement plan to reinforce his country’s commitment to its partner.
Hun Sen’s eldest son, Hun Manet, was an army commander before succeeding his father. He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point but is usually expected to be far from Washington.
The US has expressed concern about Hun Sen’s autocratic actions and the expansion of a Gulf of Thailand naval port that Cambodia and China began last year. Hun Sen has consistently denied that Cambodia permitted China to establish its military post at the Ream Naval.
China’s Defence Ministry announced Thursday that the military would perform an annual joint exercise in Cambodia from mid-to-late September to improve coordination and emergency response capabilities in medical services.
SOURCE – (AP)
