Zhang Qingwei, secretary of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee and director of the Standing Committee of the Hunan Provincial People's Congress, and Mao Weiming, deputy secretary of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee and governor of the People's Government of Hunan Province, met in Changsha with Norodom Sihamoni, king of Cambodia, and his entourage on the evening of September 21, 2022. The guests paid a special visit to Hunan.

On the evening of September 21, Secretary Zhang and Governor Mao met with Norodom Sihamoni, king of Cambodia, and his entourage in Changsha. (Photo/Tang Jun)

Secretary Zhang, on behalf of the provincial Party committee, the provincial government, and the people of the whole province, expressed his high respect and a warm welcome to King Sihamoni's visit. He said that China and Cambodia are friendly neighbors and the people of the two countries enjoy a long history of friendly exchanges. This unbreakable friendship was forged and carefully nurtured by Chairman Mao Zedong and other Chinese leaders of the older generation and King-Father Sihanouk.

In recent years, under the joint promotion of President Xi Jinping and King Sihamoni, the China-Cambodia comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership has developed by leaps and bounds. Hunan is now speeding up the construction of a new development paradigm of opening up on all fronts focusing on integrating into the "Belt and Road" initiative. Cambodia has become an essential partner of Hunan Province.

He expected both sides to further implement the critical consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries; deepen cooperation in such fields as economy and trade, investment, modern agriculture, infrastructure, education, science, culture, and health; achieve common prosperity and development; and make new and greater contributions to the building of a China-Cambodia community with a shared future.

King Sihamoni thanked Hunan Province for its warm reception and thoughtful arrangements, and congratulated Hunan on its achievements in economic and social development in recent years. He believed that under the leadership of the Communist Party of China with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, various undertakings in Hunan Province would achieve more remarkable development. Through this visit, it is hoped to inherit and carry forward the traditional friendship between the people of both sides; promote the deepening of cooperation between Cambodia and Hunan Province in various fields; and, continuously improve the well-being of the two peoples.

Khek Caimealy Sysoda, Cambodian ambassador to China; Kuy Sophal, high privy councillor of the King of Cambodia; Wang Fukang, ambassador at the Department of Asian Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and, provincial leaders Zhu Guoxian, Wu Guiying, Xie Weijiang, and Yang Haodong, attended.

This article is from the Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Yu Jiangjiang

Chinese source: hunan.gov.cn