Prime Minister Hun Manet addresses the high-level forum on digital economy of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation on October 18. STPM
Cambodia and China have set 2024 as a year for increased people-to-people exchanges, in order to promote tourism and connectivity between the two nations. The mutual commitment is in line with the new steps of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) introduced by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Prime Minister Hun Manet requested closer people-to-people ties during his bilateral meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on October 17, on the sideline of the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.
“[Li] agreed to the request, noting that people should be the focal point of the year 2024,” said a post by Manet’s social media team.
During the meeting, Li highlighted the benefit of good cooperation between the two countries, with the opening of the new Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (SAI) standing as testament, along with the many memorandum of understanding (MoUs) that have been signed for projects linked to the BRI.
Manet thanked China for offering him a warm welcome and congratulated them on their success in hosting the 19th Asian Games. He also shared his condolences for the deaths of four Chinese nationals, and the two who remain missing, in the current conflict between Hamas and Israel.
He expressed his satisfaction on the signing of eight MoUs and cooperation agreements on October 17, which he expected would increase the strength of their bilateral cooperation.
According to the post, Manet and Li discussed the direction of cooperation in various sectors, including investment, agriculture, commerce, education, sport, defence, healthcare and infrastructure construction, through the BRI framework.
Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua quoted Li as saying that China is ready to pass Sino-Cambodian friendship on from generation to generation. China also seeks to consolidate the foundation of mutual trust, deepen strategic cooperation, and firmly support each other in safeguarding sovereignty, security and development interests.
“China will speed up the synergy of the BRI with Cambodia’s Pentagonal Strategy and enrich the China-Cambodia “Diamond Hexagon” cooperation framework, to push the building of a China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era forward,” Li was quoted as saying.
Li said China is ready to work with Cambodia to promote the construction of the “Industrial Development Corridor” and “Fish and Rice Corridor”.
The world’s second-largest economy is also expediting the construction of infrastructure projects, including railroads, sewage treatment facilities and fibre optic cable, all new flagship projects for the high-quality joint building of the Belt and Road.
“China will also expand cooperation with Cambodia in emerging sectors including green industry and digital economy and help it to accelerate industrialisation and modernisation,” said Li.
Manet addressed the third BRI forum on October 18.
He highlighted the importance of international cooperation in developing the digital economy, in line with current technological trends.
“All international partners or representatives of the private sector who wish to invest in Cambodia’s digital sector will be warmly welcomed. Our digital economy policies are in place, and we are prepared to accept investment,” he said.
Manet also commended the benefits Cambodia has gained from the BRI.
“The BRI is a key policy of driving development. It contributes to the development of infrastructure and national economic growth,” he added.
President Xi, in his opening remarks, announced eight major steps to support high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, including people-to-people exchanges. He said China intends to support people-to-people exchanges towards the joint pursuit of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.
He said the BRI represents humanity’s joint pursuit of development for all.
“It has opened up a new path for exchanges among countries, and established a new framework for international cooperation,” he added.
According to Xi, since the BRI was firstly launched in 2013, 140 countries and 30 organisations have voiced their support for the initiative.
“This policy is about thinking together, working together, and developing together. No matter whether we are from different nations or religions, we have always been moving forwards altogether,” he said.
“These development projects consist of expressways, express rail, port, airports, among others, all of which are from the main policy. All of these projects are needed by the people of these countries. Those that have already been put into use have eased the lives of local people significantly,” added Xi.
Also attending the BRI forum were UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Putin’s presence marks his first overseas trip since Russian launched an invasion on Ukraine in February last year. He addressed the forum, saying that he strongly supports the BRI and will cooperate with China on this initiative.
The BRI also earned appreciation from Guterres, who said at the forum that it had contributed significantly to driving development in the poor and developing countries which joined the initiative.
He called on the world to live together in peace, without discrimination and free from any conflict.
Kin Phea, director of the Royal Academy of Cambodia’s International Relations Institute, said the BRI had mainly contributed to infrastructure development in developing countries, and served as a major catalyst to their development.
“Cambodia is a country that has reaped many benefits from the BRI, including through the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway, port development and special economic zones [SEZa], as well as the increased exports of Cambodian products to China,” he added.
