President Jiang Zemin Meets Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen

Visiting President Jiang Zemin met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen at the Cambodian Palace where he has been staying on the afternoon of Nov. 13, 2000, during which they exchanged views on how to further promote the bilateral ties.

Hun Sen said that he is very pleased to meet with President Jiang in Cambodia, adding that President Jiang's current visit will be of historical significance to the promotion of Cambodia-China friendly relations and cooperation. He was very pleased to be informed that the meeting between President Jiang and King Sihanouk was very fruitful held at noon that day. The Cambodia-China friendship was forged and cultivated by King Sihanouk and Chinese leaders of the older generation and has been enjoying development ever since. He was convinced that the great friendship between the two countries will witness even greater development in the new century.

President Jiang expressed pleasure of seeing Hun Sen once again and thanked the Cambodian government and people for their hospitality and warm welcome.

Jiang went on to say that Cambodia has enjoyed political stability and continued its national reconciliation process. The country's economic reconstruction has also achieved initial results with all reforms proceeding smoothly and people's living standards improving. Meanwhile, Cambodia's external activities are also active. Cambodia has already joined the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), improved relations with its surrounding countries and played an active role in the regional affairs. Jiang said that all these demonstrate that the current policy of Cambodia is correct and suitable to the national conditions, adding that China is pleased to see these achievements.

Jiang noted that peace and stability has not come by easily and just as the Cambodian side emphasized time and time again, the most important thing for Cambodia is to maintain peace and stability, ensure national reconciliation and economic development, stressing all these are in the interests of the nation and its people. He pointed out that China will consistently support the self-reliance policy of the Cambodian side to consolidate national reconciliation and devote themselves to the economic construction. He believed that under the leadership of King Sihanouk and Prime Minister Hun, the Cambodian people are able to remove outside disturbance, meet all challenges and resolve difficulties to build Cambodia even better.

On bilateral relations, Jiang said that China and Cambodia share extensive consensus on many issues such as opposing hegemonism and power politics, safeguarding the sovereignty, territorial integrity and national unity of their respective countries, devoting themselves to the economic development, and promoting the stability and prosperity in the region. To further consolidate and develop the Sino-Cambodian relations is important for the fundamental interests of the two countries and the two peoples as well as for regional stability. This is our set policy and will not be changed.

President Jiang said that during his visit to Cambodia, the two countries are going to issue a joint statement on bilateral relations, which will be a guideline for the bilateral relations. The objective is to develop an even closer and stable traditional good-neighborly and friendly relations. To this end, we shall accomplish the following:

1, The exchanges between the two countries should be continued and maintained at all levels. We warmly welcome King Norodom Sihanouk, Prime Minister Hun Sen and other Cambodian leaders to visit China again at convenient time and the two sides could also communicate with each other via regional and multilateral occasions.

2, The economic and trade cooperation between the two countries should be placed in a more prominent position. More concrete and practical measures should be adopted to implement the cooperation agreements already inked by the two sides. Cooperation should be continued in the formation of joint and cooperative ventures, project contracting, labor service and other fields and cooperation should also be expanded in agriculture, culture, tourism, education and other areas.

3, Bilateral cooperation in personnel training should be strengthened.

4, The two countries should enhance cooperation in regional and international affairs, including maintaining dialogue and consultation in such multilateral activities as ASEAN Regional Forum, East Asian Cooperation and the United Nations.

President Jiang summed up by saying that China is convinced that the China-Cambodia relations will be further enhanced and become a model for equal, mutually beneficial and sincere cooperation between big and small countries.

Jiang also expressed appreciation and gratitude to Hun, who has adhered to the One-China policy and devoted himself to developing Sino-Cambodian friendship.

Hun Sen said that President Jiang's proposal on developing China-Cambodia friendship and cooperation is a precious gift for the whole Cambodian people. Cambodia thinks very highly of its friendly relations and cooperation with China and is of the view that such a relationship is of long-term and strategic significance for Cambodia. He also highly commended and appreciated the continuous assistance by China to the Cambodian people, during the peace process national reconciliation and economic construction of Cambodia, in particular.

Hun reiterated that the Cambodian government will firmly adhere to the One-China policy.

Hun briefed Jiang on the domestic situation of Cambodia, saying that Cambodia has enjoyed political and social stability, devoted itself to economic development, expanded its contacts with the outside world and how reform has been going on in all the fields. He also highly praised the achievements made by China in its reform and opening-up drive and its modernization endeavor.

Nov. 14, 2000