Cambodia hails China's active role in its peace, development

China had played an active role in seeking peace for Cambodia in the past and has greatly contributed to the country's socio-economic development at the present, a senior Cambodian official said Saturday.

"In the past, when Cambodia had chronic wars, China had actively contributed to seeking peace and national unification and reconciliation until Cambodia reached a Paris Peace Accord in 1991, " Ek Sam Ol, president of the Constitutional Council of Cambodia, said during the official launching of the Lim Clan Youth's Group in Cambodia.

"Since 1993 to present, China has provided all kinds of support to Cambodia for socio-economic development," he said, adding that the Cambodian government and people are pleased to become one of the China's close friends.

Ek Sam Ol also reiterated Cambodia's firm support to the one- China policy and to all issues related to China's core interests.

Speaking about relationship between the Cambodian and Chinese peoples, he said currently, a lot of Cambodian people have descended from China and have preserved Chinese custom and tradition well such as wedding, funeral, tomb sweeping, Chinese New Year, lunar worship and so on. "The Cambodian people and the Chinese expatriates have lived in harmony from generation to generation and have never had any bad blood," he said.

The launching of the Lim Clan Youth's Group was attended by some 500 people who are Chinese-blooded Cambodian youths, Cambodian officials and Chinese businesspeople.

Speaking at the launching ceremony, Cambodia's prominent female-billionaire Lim Chhiv Ho, honorary president of the Lim Association in Cambodia, encouraged the Lim Clan Youth's Group to continue maintaining excellent traditional relations and cooperation between Cambodia and China for the benefits of the two countries and the peoples. "I'd like also to urge all youths in the Lim clan to work together with the Cambodian government to serve the peoples," she said. In a public lecture in Phnom Penh on Friday, Chinese Professor Zhu Zhenming at the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences said that Sino-Cambodian ties are the role model of friendly coexistence and close cooperation between countries.

He said the excellent ties between the two countries are thanks to a long history of relations and the strong commitments of the leaders of the two countries. "China has supported Cambodian development path that Cambodia has chosen and adhered to the principle of non-intervention in internal affairs," he said."This policy has gained trust from the Cambodian government and the people."

He said that China's sincere assistance to Cambodia without any extra-political conditions has also been attributed to the development of close ties between the two countries.