China’s Xi Jinping arrives in Cambodia for state visit
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China's President Xi Jinping and Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni walking past an honour guard at Phnom Penh International Airport on April 17.
PHOTO: AFP
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PHNOM PENH - Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh on April 17, capping a three-stop tour of South-east Asia, according to live footage from Beijing’s state-run CGTN.
Mr Xi arrived after visiting Vietnam and Malaysia as Beijing seeks to strengthen regional trade ties and offset the impact of huge tariffs imposed by his US counterpart Donald Trump.
The Chinese leader touched down at the airport in Phnom Penh on April 17, where he was greeted by King Norodom Sihamoni during a military welcome ceremony.
Mr Xi was scheduled to go to the palace in the afternoon before holding meetings with former leader Hun Sen and his son, Prime Minister Hun Manet, according to official documents seen by AFP.
China is Cambodia’s biggest trading partner and source of investment, and more than a third of Cambodia’s US$11 billion (S$14.4 billion) in foreign debt is owed to China, according to the International Monetary Fund.
And Phnom Penh is among Beijing’s most reliable supporters in Asia – Mr Hun Manet on April 16 described Mr Xi’s visit as a display of “iron-clad” friendship.
In a video posted on April 16, he said the two countries had “common interests based on the principles of respect for sovereignty, equality, and non-interference in internal affairs”.
He also said China had played a “pivotal role” in Cambodia’s socioeconomic development.
China and Cambodia this year celebrate 67 years of diplomatic relations and on April 17 the kingdom also commemorated 50 years since the fall of Phnom Penh to the Khmer Rouge.
Earlier in April, Mr Trump announced tariffs of 49 per cent on Cambodia
He then paused the levies for most countries for 90 days,
Mr Hun Manet wrote a letter to Washington “expressing Cambodia’s good faith to negotiate a mutual solution” and pledging to reduce its own tariffs on 19 categories of US goods, according to the commerce ministry.
Excluded from the 90-day pause is China, for which Washington announced duties of up to 145 per cent on Chinese imports.
Beijing has called the taxes a “joke” and imposed retaliatory tolls of 125 per cent on American goods.
