Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Cambodia on Thursday for a two-day state visit, concluding a tour of three countries in Southeast Asia which included stops in Vietnam and Malaysia intended to further strengthen Beijing relations with the region.
XI was welcomed at Phnom Penh airport by King Norodom Sihamoni and should meet Prime Minister Hun Manet and the President of the Senate Hun Sen.
In a statement after arriving on his presidential plane, a Boeing 747 from Air China, XI said that he was “delighted” to visit again.
“Cambodia is a priority in the diplomacy of the Chinese district. China will support Cambodia without moving on strategic autonomy and to continue a development path adapted to its national conditions,” he said.
Trade will probably be a major subject because Cambodia faces one of the highest American tariff rates, as announced by US President Donald Trump. In addition to the universal price of 10% of Trump, the country faces the threat of a 49% tax on exports to the United States once its 90-day break is expired.
Cambodia's rapid growth in recent years has been fueled mainly by China, which Prime Minister Manet has described as “an important and essential friend” and a “first -class partner country”.
China is the largest trading partner in Cambodia, exceeding $ 15 billion (13.2 billion euros) in 2024 and representing almost 30% of the total volume of Cambodia, although significantly in favor of Beijing.
China has increased its influence in the region over the past decade, largely by exerting its substantial economic lever effect.
The visit comes on the 50th anniversary of the communist takeover of 1975 Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, which imposed a reign of terror with policies inspired by Maoist.
Chef Khmers Rouge Pol Pot and the rest of the regime's iron tip rule led to a genocide and death between 1.5 and 2 million Cambodians, or almost a quarter of the country's population.
China has been accused of being the main foreign contributor to the Khmer Rouge. However, Beijing rejected this, declaring that it does not mix in the internal affairs of a country, and such a story is rarely discussed by one or the other country.
Editor • Sertac Aktan
