Wang Yi's Cambodia visit crucial for ties and regional stability

Editor's note: Farhad Chowdhury, a special commentator for CGTN, is a security and strategic affairs researcher and columnist. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

It is undeniable that China is putting out great effort to promote good neighborhood diplomacy, regional integration and growth in the Southeast region. 

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's ongoing visit to Cambodia shows how China and Cambodia have become good neighbors based on mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and shared development.  

The royal audience that Wang was granted by Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, as well as the productive meetings that he had with high-level officials of Cambodia, demonstrate the two countries' highest desire to strengthen their unwavering friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation, as well as to encourage collaboration across regional and international platforms.

The partnership between China and Cambodia has served as a paradigm for collaboration for the Global South and ASEAN region. Their practical cooperation has proven fruitful and promising, benefiting both countries and peoples. 

Wang's visit in 2024 will promote close people-to-people exchanges and tourismbetween the two countries. Wang also reaffirmed that China is prepared to collaborate with Cambodia to strengthen strategic synergy and broadly advance cooperation in six key areas: politics, individual exchanges, agriculture, energy, security, and production capacity. China and Cambodia will work together to completely dismantle associated criminal groups and fight unlawful operations like human trafficking, internet gambling, and telecom fraud.

China is a regional leader in peaceful and cooperative diplomacy, promoting win-win outcomes under its visionary paradigms like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative.

China-Cambodia "Diamond Hexagon" cooperation framework, the "Industrial Development Corridor" and the "Fish and Rice Corridor," are some notable instances of successful cooperation. The trips also show that both parties recognize the need to maintain and strengthen bilateral relations for their mutual benefit. China's ties with Cambodia are seeing bilateral trade benefits and investments thanks to China's solid, profitable collaboration within the BRI framework.

China is a major commercial partner and source of foreign investment. Following the implementation of the Cambodia-China Free Commerce Agreement (CCFTA) in early January 2022, there was a notable increase in bilateral commerce and a rise in Chinese investment in Cambodia.

Wang's visit is extremely important to maintain regional peace and stability in light of certain countries' war-mongering attitudes in the region, which seem determined to incite conflict and disturb peace and stability in the region for their own self-serving narrow interests. 

Cambodia's good neighborly approach toward China, adherence to the one-China principle, and support for China's lawful rights in the South China Sea serve as a stark reminder to other East Asian countries that collaboration should be prioritized above unnecessary antagonism, block confrontation and geopolitics.  

It is therefore imperative that all Asian nations unite in opposition to any form of hegemonic mindset and cooperate with China to ensure the healthy development of Asian cooperation. 

The goal of Wang's visit is to create a prosperous, peaceful, and stable Southeast Asian region rather than turning it into a geopolitical theater. Thus, Wang said,during his meeting with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sok Chenda Sopheaon April 21, that "China is willing to work with Cambodia to promote greater development in building the China-Cambodia community with a shared future."

Both nations can help advance multilateralism and globalization, South-South cooperation, win-win regionalism, and trade liberalization in the region by working together to advance the high-quality development of China-ASEAN relations, and firmly steer Asian cooperation in the right direction.

China demonstrates proactive diplomatic involvement in the region and beyond for regional integration and comprehensive development. The visit also serves as a strong support for China's ongoing diplomatic strategy toward the region.

China has been able to effectively navigate the present geopolitical landscape in the region while leveraging its diplomatic skills. Wang Yi's visit will facilitate China-Cambodia bilateral ties and China-Southeast Asian regional integration.

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at opinions@cgtn.com. Follow @thouse_opinions on Twitter to discover the latest commentaries in the CGTN Opinion Section.)