On April 18, 2025, during a state visit to Cambodia, Chinese President Xi Jinping highlighted the enduring friendship between China and Cambodia, emphasizing the significant achievements stemming from their economic and trade cooperation, as well as cultural exchanges that have fortified their bilateral relations. Xi made these comments during a meeting with King Norodom Sihamoni of Cambodia, asserting that the partnership serves as a model of equality, mutual trust, and beneficial collaboration between countries of differing sizes.

President Xi expressed his belief that China's modernization efforts will further provide new opportunities for neighboring countries, including Cambodia. He noted that the ties between the two nations have withstood global changes and have consistently remained strong. The foundations of their bilateral relationship were laid and nurtured by previous generations of leaders from both countries.

During a visit in February 2023, then-Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and President Xi reached an agreement to establish a "Diamond Cooperation Framework," which focuses on six key areas: political cooperation, production capacity and quality, agriculture, energy, security, and people-to-people exchanges.

In September 2023, Hun Manet chose China as his first official destination after assuming office as Cambodia's Prime Minister. In his meeting with Xi Jinping, he pledged to continue deepening the close friendship between Cambodia and China, underscoring the importance of their relationship.

Adding to this sentiment, in May 2024, the Cambodian royal government renamed a street in Phnom Penh to "Xi Jinping Boulevard" in honor of President Xi's historical contributions to the country's development. At the naming ceremony, Prime Minister Hun Manet emphasized that under the leadership and collaborative efforts of Xi and Cambodian leaders, their bilateral relations have entered the most fruitful phase in their history.

Successes in Economic and Trade Cooperation

The economic relationship has flourished significantly, driven by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the free trade agreement between China and Cambodia. China has been Cambodia's largest trading partner for 13 consecutive years. In 2024, the bilateral trade volume reached an impressive $17.83 billion, reflecting a remarkable increase of 20.7% from the previous year.

The inclusion of high-quality Cambodian agricultural and fishery productssuch as rice, bananas, mangoes, longan fruits, coconuts, and Basa fishinto the Chinese market has not only enriched the diet of Chinese consumers but also boosted the incomes of Cambodian citizens.

Moreover, the investment cooperation has deepened over the years, with China remaining Cambodia's largest foreign investor for 13 years. Chinese investments span a wide range of sectors, including transportation, energy, agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, special economic zones, and information and communication technology, characterized by extensive coverage, significant scale, and positive outcomes.

A recent survey conducted by CGTN revealed that approximately 95.4% of Cambodians view Chinese companies that invest or operate in Cambodia positively, while 95% believe that China has made a constructive contribution to global economic development.

Cultural Exchange Enhancing Bilateral Relations

In addition to political and economic collaboration, cultural exchanges between China and Cambodia serve as a vital pillar of their friendship, fostering mutual understanding and strengthening the bonds between the two peoples. The interpersonal relationships have seen a boost through the designation of 2024 as the Year of People-to-People Exchange between China and Cambodia.

Over the years, medical cooperation programs such as the "Love Heart Journey," "Bright Journey," and "Smile Journey" have provided high-quality healthcare to communities in more than 20 provinces and cities in Cambodia.

The Confucius Institute, established in Cambodia in 2009, has played a significant role as a cultural bridge, offering free Chinese language courses to over 100,000 Cambodian learners.

Looking forward, the cultural exchange between the two nations is expected to expand further under the guidance of China's Global Civilization Initiative, which aims to enhance cooperation in sectors such as culture, youth, media, think tanks, tourism, technology, healthcare, and the restoration of cultural heritage.

In a signed article prior to his arrival in Cambodia for the state visit, Xi stated, We should deepen exchanges among our people, uphold solidarity and harmony, intensify cultural dialogue, enhance exchanges of governance experiences, expand diverse forms of cooperation in culture, tourism, youth exchange, and cultural heritage protection and restoration, and strengthen connections between our peoples.