Chinese leader thanks Cambodia for role in sea row

September 03, 2012
AP

BEIJING – China’s premier has thanked Cambodia for its support in a Southeast Asian regional bloc amid tensions between Beijing and several nations over territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

The official Xinhua news agency said Wen Jiabao told Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen in a meeting yesterday that China will promote closer cooperation with Cambodia.

In mid-July, foreign ministers of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) failed to issue a joint statement after their annual meeting in Phnom Penh when host Cambodia rejected a proposal by the Philippines and Vietnam to mention their territorial disputes with China in the document.

Xinhua said Wen thanked Cambodia for its “important role in maintaining the overall situation of friendly relations between China and the ASEAN.”

Chinese Premier Wen visits Cambodian royal family in Beijing [សប្បាយញញឹម បិទមាត់លែងជិត តាម៉ង សម្តេចតាតា!]

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (2nd L) visits former Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk (2nd R), his wife Norodom Monineath (1st R) and Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni (1st L) in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 20, 2012. Wen Jiabao visited the Cambodian royal family members here on Friday to extend Lunar New Year greetings. Wen also conveyed President Hu Jintao's greetings to them, and wished Sihanouk and his wife good health. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (L, front) visits former Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk (R, front), his wife Norodom Monineath and Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 20, 2012. Wen Jiabao visited the Cambodian royal family members here on Friday to extend Lunar New Year greetings. Wen also conveyed President Hu Jintao's greetings to them, and wished Sihanouk and his wife good health. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (1st R, front) visits former Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk (2nd R, front), his wife Norodom Monineath (1st L, front) and Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 20, 2012. Wen Jiabao visited the Cambodian royal family members here on Friday to extend Lunar New Year greetings. Wen also conveyed President Hu Jintao's greetings to them, and wished Sihanouk and his wife good health. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

Chinese premier visits former Cambodian King

BEIJING, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited former Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk on Sunday, during the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday.

Wen extended the new year greetings to Sihanouk, and praised Sihanouk's outstanding contribution to promoting China-Cambodia friendship.

He thanked Sihanouk for his donations to China for disasters relief in snow stricken areas. Wen said this indicated the profound friendship to the Chinese people.

The premier expressed his confidence that the Chinese people could win the fight against the snow disasters.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations and is a year of China-Cambodia Friendship. China would work with Cambodia to carry forward traditional friendship and increase bilateral cooperation to benefit the two peoples, Wen noted.

Sihanouk expressed appreciation for China's achievements, and thanked China for offering support to Cambodia's development. He hoped that the Cambodia-China friendship would achieve constant progress.

President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen had visited the snow stricken areas to instruct the disasters relief work, and people there had shown the utmost fortitude to combat disasters. Sihanouk said he was deeply moved.

Sihanouk said he believed the Chinese people would definitely win the fight against the snow havoc.