On the afternoon of August 11, 2005, Chinese President Hu Jintao met with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni in the Great Hall of the People. The host and the guest held cordial and friendly talks.
Hu said that the Chinese and Cambodian peoples share a long history of friendly exchanges. The friendship that were cultivated and nurtured by preceding generations of Chinese leaders and former King Norodom Sihanouk has withstood the testing of time and history and become the common wealth of the two peoples. Entering the new century, bilateral relations become much closer and the leaders of the two countries maintain frequent mutual visits. The exchanges and cooperation in various fields have yielded remarkable results. China highly appreciates Cambodia for its position on adhering to the one-China policy and firmly supporting China on the Taiwan question. It has been proved that China and Cambodia are good neighbors, good friends and good partners sharing mutual-trust and close cooperation.
King Sihamoni emotionally reviewed and spoke highly of Cambodia-China friendship forged by former King Sihanouk and Chinese leaders of several generations. He said that to inherit and carry forward the friendship between the two peoples is the aspiration of the Cambodian royal family and the purpose of his visit. Cambodia and China are friendly neighbors and the two peoples are sincere friends. The Cambodian people really feel happy for the achievements made by the Chinese people in the process of economic and social development and will never forget the valuable support and assistance by the Chinese people over the past years. The Cambodian side will continue to uphold the one-China policy and push for the further growth of bilateral friendly relations.
Hu said that the Chinese government always attaches great importance to China-Cambodia relations and values the unique friendship with the Cambodian royal family. We welcome the King and the members of the royal family to visit China and support the governments, parliaments and parties in their efforts to strengthen exchanges and develop friendships. The economic and trade cooperation between China and Cambodian enjoys a solid foundation. I hope that both sides cooperate closely to implement the agreed cooperation projects with both quality and quantity guaranteed and further strengthen the cooperation in such fields as agriculture, infrastructure construction, and resources exploitation. Both sides may also further expand the exchanges and cooperation in such fields as culture, education, health, sports, and tourism and consolidate the communications and coordination on international and regional affairs. I believe that with the joint efforts of both sides, China-Cambodia friendship will go deeper into the heart of the people and the good-neighborly friendly relations between our two countries will embrace a more beautiful future.
Sihamoni spoke highly of Cambodia-China friendly cooperative relationship and expressed his satisfaction with the development of bilateral relations. He also expressed the belief that with the joint efforts of both sides, new chapters will surely be composed for Cambodia-China relations.
State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan and some other officials were present at the meeting.
Prior to the meeting, Hu held a welcoming ceremony for King Sihamoni upon his visit in the Northern Hall of the Great of the People. Also present at the ceremony were Han Qide, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), Tang Jiaxuan, State Councilor, Li Meng, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Lu Qiang, Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the Chinese Democratic League, Li Zhaoxing Minister for Foreign Affairs, Bo Xilai, Minister of Commerce and some other officials.