Scholar paints bright future for China's ties with Cambodia, ASEAN

China's relations with Cambodia have a long-term history and have been constantly maintained and further developed by the leaders of the two countries from one generation to the next, a Chinese academic said on Friday.

 "Since diplomatic relations between China and Cambodia were established in 1958, bilateral relations have lasted for long time and have been moving forward and made great achievements," Professor Zhu Zhenming at the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences in China said in a public lecture in Phnom Penh.

He said Cambodia achieved peace in 1993 and the Chinese and Cambodian relations have entered a period of stable, rapid and overall development.

"The relations and cooperation between two sides are ever closer and these growing ties have passed from one generation to another,"he said, stressing that China-Cambodia ties were the role model of friendly coexistence and close cooperation between countries.

The two countries upgraded their ties to the top level of a comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation in 2010, he said, adding that all fields of cooperation, particularly in politics, economics, trade, investment, tourism, education and culture have been steadily strengthened and expanded.

China is the top investor in Cambodia with a total investment of more than 9.6 billion US dollars, he said. For bilateral trade, it was valued at 3.7 billion US dollars last year. "China has supported Cambodian development path that Cambodia has chosen and adhered to principle of non-intervention in internal affairs," he said."This policy has gained trust from the Cambodian government and people."

He added that China's sincere assistance to Cambodia without any extra-political conditions had also attributed to the development of close ties between the two countries. "To sum up, there is great potential in the development of China- Cambodia relations, and the future of China-Cambodia ties is bright,"he said.

The lecture, organized by the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace, was attended by Cambodian officials, academics, diplomatic corps and university students.

Talking about China's relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Zhu said China's relations with ASEAN have been rapidly developed in the spirits of mutually beneficial cooperation and good neighborliness. "The Chinese government always takes ASEAN as its priority in China's diplomacy," he said, noting that the close ties between China and ASEAN have contributed further to the region's long-term peace, development and cooperation.

He said with the joint efforts of both sides, China-ASEAN ties would continue to be expanded and deepened for mutual benefits.