PHNOM PENH -- China treasured its traditional friendship with Cambodia, and would take strategic approaches to step up the bilateral cooperation to a new height, visiting senior leader of the Communist Party of China He Guoqiang said here on Tuesday.
He, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau and the head of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, made the remarks in his respective meetings with Heng Samrin, Honorary President of the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and president of the Cambodian National Assembly, and Keo Puth Rasmey, chairman of Cambodia's royalist Funcinpec Party.
In his meeting with Heng Samrin, He spoke highly of the development of the China-Cambodia relations since the two nations forged diplomatic relations 54 years ago, expressing his appreciation to Cambodia's firm support on issues to China's key concern.
He said the CPC attaches great importance to the ties with the CPP and would work with the party to promote the all-round cooperative partnership by boosting the inter-party exchanges and cooperation.
Heng Samrin said the Cambodian side felt satisfied with the current growth of the relations with China and would never forget a true friend as China who has offered a large amount of assistance to Cambodia to help the country achieve national development.
The CPP and the Cambodian National Assembly treasures its friendly relations with China and would work actively to promote the friendship between the two nations, two parties and two peoples to a higher level, Heng Samrin said.
While meeting with Keo Puth Rasmey, He said he agreed with Keo Puth Rasmey's views that China-Cambodian relations have thrived like a growing tree, calling on the two sides to contribute efforts to foster the tree for a better growth in a bid to generate fruits for the two peoples.
He also briefed Keo Puth Rasmey with the latest mechanism employed by the CPC for its capacity building, vowing that the CPC would expand its exchange and cooperation with the Funcinpec Party.
Applauding He's visit to Cambodia as very significant one to boost relations between the two nations and two parties, Keo Puth Rasmey said he was confidence in the further development of ties between CPC and the Funcinpec Party which were founded and nurtured by the older generations of Chinese leaders and Cambodian King-Father Norodom Sihanouk.
Funcinpec Party was founded in 1981 by the retired king Norodom Sihanouk. Currently, it is the only one coalition party of the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP).
Visiting as a guest of the CPP and the Funcinpec Party, He arrived in Phnom Penh for a three-day good-will visit on Tuesday. Cambodia is the second leg of his four-nation tour which had already brought him to the Laos and will take him to Malaysia and Russia.
