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Cambodia’s Hun Sen to head to China in search of high-speed rail support
- Cambodian leader’s trip comes 3 years after key visit at the start of the Covid-19 outbreak in Wuhan
- Beijing must be cautious about Phnom Penh improving ties with Tokyo and Washington, analyst says
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Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen will visit China after Lunar New Year, with plans to secure China’s support for his country’s first high-speed rail project.
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Hun Sen confirmed on Saturday that he will make a three-day official visit to China from February 9, followed by a trip by Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni.
Hun Sen said this visit was arranged by Chinese President Xi Jinping to mark the third anniversary of his last trip to China, Cambodian daily Rasmei Kampuchea reported on Saturday.
Hun Sen’s trip in February 2020 was the first by a foreign leader since the outbreak of Covid-19 in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, and was meant “to send a message of solidarity between the Cambodian people and the Chinese people”.
The gesture was welcomed in Beijing with Xi saying at the time that “a friend in need is a friend indeed”.
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China helps upgrade Cambodian naval base, as nations dismiss Western fears about Beijing’s plans
China helps upgrade Cambodian naval base, as nations dismiss Western fears about Beijing’s plans
China has not confirmed Hun Sen’s visit. But in a report about his comments on Saturday, state news agency Xinhua quoted the Cambodian leader as describing relations between the two countries as “solid”. He also referred to the 65th anniversary of bilateral ties this year.
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