Liu Yunshan, a senior Communist Party of China official, met on Wednesday with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen in Phnom Penh, and they agreed to cement bilateral cooperation and party-to-party exchanges.

China always regards Cambodia as a priority in its diplomacy with neighboring countries, said Liu, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. Liu said the two countries, treating each other as good neighbors, friends, brothers and partners, have had fruitful cooperation in all fields since China and Cambodia established diplomatic ties 59 years ago.

China will work with Cambodia to implement the important consensus reached by President Xi Jinping and Hun Sen, and to consolidate mutual political trust and comprehensively deepen strategic cooperation, he said.

The ties between the CPC and the ruling Cambodian People's Party, whose president is Hun Sen, play a leading role in state-to-state ties, said Liu, expecting the two parties to maintain high-level contacts, learn from each other on party rule and state governance, and deepen exchanges to drive party-to-party ties to a new high.

Hun Sen thanked Liu for the visit ahead of the 19th CPC National Congress, saying it shows China's great attention to the development of Cambodia-China relations. He wished the 19th CPC National Congress success.

Cambodia will work with China to push forward their bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership for more development, while maintaining mutual support on each other's issues of crucial concern, Hun Sen said.

Xinhua

(China Daily 09/22/2017 page3)