2013/02/04
On February 4,
2013, Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese
People's Political Consultative Conference, attended the cremation
ceremony of the late Cambodian King Father Norodom Sihanouk in Phnom
Penh, capital of Cambodia. He also met with Queen Mother Norodom
Monineath, King Norodom Sihamoni and Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Around 5:00 p.m. on
February 4, King Father Norodom Sihanouk's funeral was held at the Veal
Preah Meru Square, attended by 3,000 Cambodians from all walks of life. A
number of foreign leaders including Jia Qinglin, Lao Prime Minister
Thongsing Thammavong, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Thai
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, and French Prime Minister Jean-Marc
Ayrault also took part in the ceremony. Close to one million Cambodian
mourners gathered around the square to pay their last respects to the
late King Father.
When the funeral started,
Buddhist monks chanted in religious language. Then, in a solemn
atmosphere, Jia, together with other foreign leaders and foreign
ambassadors to Cambodia, walked slowly towards the cremation site where
the remains of King Father Norodom Sihanouk was placed and laid his
flowers, conveying his most profound condolences and bidding a final
farewell to the King Father, Chinese people's great friend. Jia shook
hands with Queen Mother Norodom Monineath, King Norodom Sihamoni and
Prime Minister Hun Sen one after the other to extend his deep condolence
and sincere sympathy.
On the morning before the
funeral, Queen Mother Norodom Monineath and King Norodom Sihamoni met
with Jia at the Royal Palace. Jia relayed the profound condolences and
sincere sympathies of President Hu Jintao and General Secretary Xi
Jinping to the Queen Mother, the King and the Cambodian people over the
death of King Father Norodom Sihanouk. Jia said that Sihanouk, father of
the modern Cambodian nation loved and esteemed by its people, made an
indelible contribution to the friendship between China and Cambodia. His
death is a great loss for the Cambodian people and China lost a great
friend. Jia expressed his conviction that the Cambodian people will be
able to turn grief into a constructive force to build a more beautiful
homeland. China greatly values the special friendship with the Cambodian
royal family and is willing to, in compliance with the late King
Father's wish, work with Cambodia to pass the friendship down to the
next generations. Jia said Queen Mother Norodom Monineath and King
Norodom Sihamoni, long devoted to China-Cambodia friendship, have made
important contributions in this aspect. He hoped that they can continue
to play their special role in China-Cambodia friendship.
For their part, Queen
Mother Norodom Monineath and King Norodom Sihamoni said they were deeply
touched by Jia's attendance at the King Father's funeral on behalf of
the Chinese government and the Chinese people. Expressing their
heartfelt thanks to the Chinese side on behalf the Cambodian royal
family and the Cambodian people, they said King Father Sihanouk loved
China very much and in return he received thoughtful care from the
Chinese government, which they would always keep in mind. The Cambodian
royal family cherishes the friendship between Cambodia and China; it
will firmly support Cambodia-China relations as well as the development
of various undertakings in China.
On the same morning, Jia
also met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. Conveying the cordial
greetings and good wishes from Premier Wen Jiabao and the new Chinese
leadership, Jia said that his presence here was to attend the funeral of
King Father Norodom Sihanouk on behalf of the Chinese leadership.
Sino-Cambodia friendship relation was established by the King Father and
former Chinese leaders; it is a most valuable asset for both countries.
Jia added that the best tribute China and Cambodia can jointly pay to
the late King Father is to comply with his wish to consolidate and
continue the bilateral friendship for future generations.
According to Jia, the
18th CPC National Congress stressed that China will continue to pursue a
road of peaceful development and an independent foreign policy of
peace. China will stick to the policy of good neighborliness, create
conditions for greater spillover effects of its own development in
countries around China, and become good friends and good partners with
all neighboring countries. The new Chinese collective leadership will
adhere to the policy of friendliness toward Cambodia, support Cambodian
policies in maintaining stability and promoting development, and push
bilateral ties to a new level.
Jia said this year marks
the 55th anniversary of the establishment of China-Cambodia diplomatic
ties. It is also the China-Cambodia Friendship Year jointly designated
by President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Hun Sen. The two sides should
maintain high-level exchanges and vigorously promote the China-Cambodia
comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation. China will, as it
has always done in the past, continue to support and help Cambodia in
its efforts to develop its economy and improve its people's livelihood.
China will deepen pragmatic cooperation with Cambodia, focus on
strengthening Cambodia's capacity for independent development, and beef
up bilateral cooperation in such fields as agriculture and
infrastructure construction. China is ready to work with Cambodia to do a
good job in designing and holding the activities to celebrate the
China-Cambodia Friendship Year, and enhance the understanding and
friendship between the two peoples. China lauds the positive role
Cambodia has played in promoting closer ties between China and ASEAN.
Jia hoped that the two countries should continue to support and
coordinate with each other in regional affairs.
For his part, Prime
Minister Hun Sen extended his thanks to the Chinese government for its
thoughtful care for the late King Father Norodom Sihanouk during his
stay in China, for the deliberate arrangement it has made in the wake of
the King Father's death, and also for the great importance it has
attached to the King Father's funeral. The Cambodian government, Hun Sen
said, will comply with the wish of the late King Father and carry
forward the China-Cambodia friendship nurtured by the King Father and
former Chinese leaders. Cambodia is ready to take advantage of the 55th
anniversary of the establishment of China-Cambodia diplomatic ties to
strengthen the China-Cambodia comprehensive strategic partnership of
cooperation and push bilateral ties to a higher level. The two countries
should conduct all-round pragmatic cooperation, expand bilateral trade,
deepen cooperation in agriculture and infrastructure construction. Hun
Sen added the two countries should promote exchanges between the two
countries' youths to lay a sound foundation for a lasting friendship.
They should also deepen cooperation in regional and international
affairs and push for closer cooperation between ASEAN and China.
On the same day, Jia also
met in the hotel where he stayed with representatives of the staff of
the Chinese embassy in Cambodia, overseas Chinese, employees at
Chinese–funded institutions and enterprises, Chinese-language teachers
and overseas Chinese students in Cambodia.
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