【环球双语】洪森：向中国领导人和中国人民致以最美好祝愿！

Editor's Note:

China and Cambodia are iron-clad friends firmly supporting each other and a community with a shared future, while also being members of the "Shanghai Cooperation Organization family." The two countries are companions in maintaining peace and stability, doers in promoting common development, and pioneers in jointly building a beautiful homeland. In December last year, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and President Xi Jinping held talks in Beijing with President of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and President of the Senate of Cambodia Samdech Techo Hun Sen during his official and friendly visit to China. Both sides reaffirmed their steadfast determination to work together to build a high-quality, high-level and high-standard China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era. In a recent written interview with the Global Times (GT), Hun said that China and Cambodia enjoy a special friendship and the two sides maintain a high degree of political mutual trust on the basis of mutual respect for independence and mutual support. The two countries are promoting the deepening and continuous development of bilateral cooperation in various fields. On the occasion of the Spring Festival, he extended his best wishes to the Chinese leaders and the Chinese people, and welcomed Chinese friends to travel to Cambodia.

当地时间2025年1月7日，柬埔寨人民党主席、参议院主席洪森出席庆典活动。图源：VCG

环球时报：应中国共产党邀请，您于去年12月成功访华，同习近平总书记、国家主席深入沟通交流，并会见其他中国领导人。这是您首次以柬埔寨人民党主席、参议院主席的身份访华，能否请您谈谈此行最大的感受？

GT: At the invitation of the Communist Party of China (CPC), you visited China in December last year. You had in-depth conversation with Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese president, and other Chinese leaders. This was your first visit to China as president of the Cambodian People's Party and president of the Cambodian Senate. Can you talk about the visit? 

Hun: I have visited China many times, both official and working visits. From December 2 to 4, 2024, I paid my first visit to China as president of the Cambodian People's Party and president of the Senate. This was an excellent opportunity for me to meet and communicate with old friends and further consolidate the iron-clad Cambodia-China friendship pioneered by the older generation leaders of the two countries. I would like to thank the Chinese leaders for taking precious time out of their busy schedules to warmly receive me and all members of the Cambodian delegation.

This visit was significant to the relations between the two countries. As friends who are very familiar with each other, during my visit, I had in-depth, candid and productive meetings with Chinese leaders such as General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and President Xi Jinping, Chairman of China's National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee Zhao Leji, and Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee Wang Huning. We reiterated that we will strengthen unity, continue to stride forward side by side along the path of comprehensive strategic cooperation, and work together to build a high-quality, high-level and high-standard China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era.

More importantly, we emphasized the importance of political mutual trust and agreed to strengthen exchanges and strategic communication at all levels of the executive and legislative bodies. Cambodia has always firmly adhered to the one-China principle, and China has always supported Cambodia in taking a development path that suits its national conditions. The two countries will continue to work together to contribute to regional and world peace, security and prosperity.

GT: China and Cambodia are iron-clad friends. How do you evaluate the iron-clad friendship between China and Cambodia? What demonstration effect does the iron-clad relationship between the two countries have on other countries? In what areas do you think the two sides can further strengthen exchanges and cooperation and work together to achieve common development in the future?

Hun: Cambodia and China established a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in 2010. Since then, Cambodia-China relations have continued to develop rapidly, and the iron-clad friendship between Cambodia and China has continued to this day. The development of Cambodia-China relations has always adhered to the principles of mutual respect and equal treatment, always respected each other's core interests, and always respected the sovereignty and independence of the other country.

Good political relations have effectively promoted "win-win" cooperation between Cambodia and China, and both parties have achieved tangible and fruitful results in the fields of trade, investment, tourism, infrastructure construction and people-to-people exchanges. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Chinese friends for providing and continuing to provide development assistance to Cambodia, which has assisted the efforts of the Royal Government of Cambodia to improve people's livelihoods, maintain rapid economic growth, and realize the development vision of becoming an upper-middle-income country by 2030 and a high-income country by 2050.

The two countries agreed to advance the synergy of the Belt and Road Initiative with Cambodia's Pentagonal Strategy, and promote China-Cambodia "diamond cooperation framework" with six priority areas, including the construction of the "Industrial and Technological Corridor" and "Fish and Rice Corridor," on the basis of strengthening political and security cooperation and close people-to-people exchanges, deepen cooperation in modern agriculture, green energy, logistics infrastructure, health and advanced technology. 2024 marked the "Cambodia-China Year of People-to-People Exchanges," and the two countries are considering to identify 2025 as the "Cambodia-China Tourism Year," which will help further promote people-to-people ties between the two countries and consolidate the iron-clad friendship between Cambodia and China.

Cambodia appreciates China's constructive role in promoting world peace and sustainable development. We support the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative, which help achieve the goals set by the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and build a world of peace, security, harmony, prosperity and multilateralism.

GT: There are speculations on the internet that the foreign policy of the new Cambodian government has changed. What is your response to this?

Hun: In accordance with the national constitution, Cambodia adheres to the principles of permanent neutrality, non-alignment, and peaceful coexistence with all countries in the world. We have always pursued an independent foreign policy based on international law and insisted on "maintaining old friends and developing new friends." Cambodia’s political will to make friends and avoid enemies has never changed.

We strive to develop friendly and cooperative relations with China, as well as with other countries. Currently, China-Cambodia relations are particularly friendly, and the two sides maintain a high degree of political mutual trust on the basis of mutual respect for independence and mutual support. The two countries are promoting the deepening and continuous development of bilateral cooperation in various fields.

GT: The 2025 Chinese New Year is coming. As an old friend of the Chinese people, what holiday wishes do you have for the Chinese people?

洪森：值此中国新春佳节即将来临之际，我谨向中国领导人和全体中国人民致以最热烈的祝贺和最美好的祝愿，祝中国人民幸福美满、兴旺发达，祝中国社会和谐繁荣，不断取得更大成就！

Hun: As the Chinese New Year is approaching, I would like to extend my warmest congratulations and best wishes to the Chinese leaders and the Chinese people. I wish the Chinese people happiness and prosperity, and the Chinese society harmony and prosperity and greater success.

祝愿中国朋友取得更伟大胜利，相信在以习近平同志为核心的中国共产党领导下，中国一定能够在2049年如期实现第二个百年奋斗目标。事实证明，中国的发展不仅造福中国人民，也为地区和世界发展作出了重大贡献。

I wish Chinese friends a greater victory and believe that under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, China will be able to achieve its second centenary goal as scheduled in 2049. Facts have proven that China's development not only benefits the Chinese people, but also makes significant contributions to regional and world development.

值此春节假期之际，祝中国兄弟姐妹们不管是在国内出行还是出国旅游，都高高兴兴、平平安安。柬埔寨期待并欢迎中国朋友在春节期间或其他任何时间来柬旅游。

Amid the Spring Festival holidays, I wish our Chinese brothers and sisters to be happy and safe whether traveling domestically or abroad. Cambodia looks forward to and welcomes Chinese friends to visit Cambodia during the Spring Festival or at any other time.

本报记者：王雯雯