In this undated photo, a water tower built by China supplies safe drinking water to more than 800 households spanning two villages in Cambodia. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Cambodia strongly supports China’s multilateral initiatives because they are inclusive and mutually beneficial, according to a Cambodian lawmaker.

Cambodia and China are equal partners although Cambodia is a small state and China is a major power. Equality, inclusiveness, and mutually beneficial partnership characterize the relationship.

Suos Yara, chairman of Cambodia’s National Assembly’s Commission on Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, Information and Media

“Cambodia and China are equal partners although Cambodia is a small state and China is a major power,” said Suos Yara, chairman of Cambodia’s National Assembly’s Commission on Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, Information and Media.

“Equality, inclusiveness, and mutually beneficial partnership characterize the relationship,” said Yara, who is also a spokesman for the ruling Cambodian People's Party.

He said Cambodia supports China’s global and regional initiatives including the Belt and Road Initiative, Health Silk Road, the Global Development Initiative, or GDI, and the Global Security Inititaive.

Taking the GDI, which was proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in September 2021, as an example, Yara said it is an inclusive multilateral cooperation framework and platform in which all countries are equally treated. 

“It will become another significant cooperation platform for China and developing countries to advance their fundamental and core national interests,” he said, adding the GDI complements Cambodia’s national development strategy and the vision to become a higher-middle income country by 2030 and a high-income country by 2050.

Next year marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Cambodia, and the completion of the first five-year action plan of building a China-Cambodia community with a shared future.  

“Cambodia and China have made remarkable progress in implementing the plan of action for building a community of shared future,” said Yara, adding that the concept is compatible with Cambodia’s foreign policy priority that promotes win-win cooperation and serves Cambodia’s national interests in promoting peace, prosperity and cultural identity. 

“Under the community, the two countries have built strong and comprehensive cooperation in political, security, economic, cultural and people-to-people, and multilateral cooperation,” said Yara.

For example, in the joint fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, China has timely donated vaccines to Cambodia to protect its people’s lives and health.  

“This has, as a result, enabled Cambodia to reopen its country and helped accelerate the economic recovery,” said Yara.

READ MORE: GDI boosts benefits for Cambodia

China provided nearly 37 million COVID-19 vaccines to Cambodia, accounting for 90 percent of the total vaccines Cambodia has received, the Chinese embassy in Cambodia said in February. 

Chinese companies and investments have also provided tangible benefits to Cambodia’s national development in the field of agriculture, agro-industry, industry, tourism and infrastructure, with mega infrastructure projects like roads and expressways, ports, and airports significantly developed and modernized the kingdom’s connectivity, he said.

China is the top foreign investor in Cambodia, accounting for 43 percent of the total investment of $2.99 billion the kingdom approved during the first half of 2022, according to Xinhua News Agency, citing a report from the Council for the Development of Cambodia.

Referring to accusations of a so-called “Chinese debt trap” by Western media, Yara said Cambodia will not fall into the “debt trap” with China, or other countries.

“Cambodia is fully aware of the risk of debt traps, and China has no interest in creating a debt trap for Cambodia,” said Yara, adding the bilateral relationship is based on deep mutual trust, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation. 

It is worth noting that the debt ceiling of Cambodia is 40 percent of the national GDP, as defined by law, yet the public debt currently stands at only 23 percent of GDP, said Yara.

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Yara said the two countries need to further enhance people’s participation in the journey toward the realization of a community with a shared future.

He said Cambodia and China should focus more on people and cultural connectivity by investing more resources and efforts in connecting the people and culture of the two countries through the promotion of a Lancang-Mekong cultural corridor.

The Mekong River, known as the Lancang River in China, is a vital waterway that flows through China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Contact the writer at kelly@chinadailyapac.com