China, Cambodia pledge to implement China-proposed global initiatives

PHNOM PENH - China and Cambodia on Friday expressed readiness to fully implement the China-proposed Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative.

The commitment was underscored in a joint statement issued when Chinese President Xi Jinping wrapped up his state visit to Cambodia, where both countries also highlighted their mutual goal of speeding up the building of an all-weather China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era.

The two sides underscored their willingness to be frontrunners in the Global Development Initiative and to inject strong impetus into global development, especially the development of the Global South.

To implement the initiative, the two sides agreed to accelerate the advancement of the Industrial Development Corridor plan, leverage the China-Cambodia railway cooperation mechanism to jointly formulate a general plan for Cambodia's railway network, and speed up the implementation of the Fish and Rice Corridor cooperation plan.

They also agreed to work actively to promote the signing of the upgrade protocol of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area at an early date within this year.

Cambodia supported Hong Kong's accession to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and welcomed the Global AI Governance Initiative put forward by Xi.

They also agreed to jointly build a secure and stable industrial and supply chain, expand the use of local currencies in bilateral trade and investment, and enhance cooperation in the field of clean energy.

As for the Global Security Initiative, the two sides affirmed their commitment to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and to resolving differences and disputes between countries through dialogue and consultation in a peaceful manner, so as to make positive contributions to regional and global peace and stability.

China lauded Cambodia's crackdown on illegal online gambling, and the two sides voiced their willingness to continue to carry out the Year of Law Enforcement Cooperation activities.

China has actively promoted the resolution of international and regional hotspot issues, and Cambodia welcomes China's important and constructive role in this regard.

The two sides believe that the South China Sea issue should be resolved peacefully by sovereign states directly concerned through friendly consultations and negotiations, and any attempt to use the South China Sea issue to undermine regional peace and mutual trust will be counterproductive.

On the Global Civilization Initiative, they emphasized that both countries are ancient civilizations with long histories.

They jointly advocated for respecting the diversity of world civilizations, promoting the common values of humanity, and contributing to exchanges and mutual learning among human civilizations.

The two sides agreed to designate 2025 the China-Cambodia Year of Tourism and encourage their citizens to travel to each other's countries.

They also expressed willingness to explore the establishment of China-Cambodia joint working group on cultural heritages to promote comprehensive cooperation in the field.