Sihanoukville (FN), Apr. 5 – Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet announced that Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay an official visit to Cambodia in mid-April 2025.

The premier spoke on Saturday (Apr. 5) at the inauguration of Ream naval base and Cambodia-China Joint Logistics and Training Centre in Sihanoukville.

Samdech Thipadei stated that President Xi’s visit, along with the inauguration of the Cambodia-China Ream naval base and Cambodia-China Joint Logistics and Training Centre, is a clear testament to the strong relationship between Cambodia and China. He underlined that these events serve as a response to recent comments suggesting a decline in bilateral relations.

Samdech Thipadei underscored, “The inauguration ceremony will be held in two weeks, coinciding with the official visit of Xi Jinping to Cambodia. His visit to three countries—Malaysia, Viet Nam, and Cambodia—demonstrates the solid friendship between Cambodia and China."

Samdech Thipadei continued, “Lately, there have been various comments in the media suggesting that relations between the new Cambodian government and the Chinese government have significantly weakened. I will not go into detail, but what matters is that the inauguration, the joint training, and the official visit of China’s top leader speak for themselves.”

The Chinese president’s upcoming state visit to ASEAN countries is seen as an effort to reinforce ties with neighboring nations amid rising global instability, which has been ongoing since the second term of US President Donald Trump.

According to the South China Morning Post on 31 March 2025, citing Chinese diplomatic sources, this trip to Malaysia, Viet Nam, and Cambodia marks President Xi Jinping’s first visit to Southeast Asia this year. The visit aims to strengthen regional relationships at a time when Southeast Asian countries are increasingly concerned about US foreign policy, particularly regarding tariffs.

It is worth noting that President Xi Jinping previously visited Cambodia in 2016, during which both sides signed numerous agreements to support Cambodia’s development.
=FRESH NEWS