photo: Xinhua

Chinese President Xi Jinping awarded Cambodian Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk the Friendship Medal of the People's Republic of China on Friday in Beijing.

Cambodian Queen Mother Monineath is an important promoter of Sino-Cambodian friendship, Xi said at the award ceremony at the Great Hall of the People. 

Over the past 60 years, Queen Mother Monineath has been actively dedicated to enhancing friendly exchanges between China and Cambodia, and has made outstanding contributions in enhancing the friendship between the two peoples, Xi said.

Xi stressed that China and Cambodia have been supporting and helping each other and have forged an unbreakable "iron core" friendship since establishing diplomatic ties 62 years ago. 

The Friendship Medal represents the Chinese people's reverence for Queen Mother Monineath and profound friendship with the Cambodian people, Xi said.

Queen Mother Monineath said she was greatly pleased and expressed her heartfelt thanks for being awarded the Friendship Medal, which fully reflects the friendly feelings of Chinese people toward her and the Cambodian people.

In a meeting with Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan in Beijing on Friday, Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni said he had recently visited Yan'an, a former revolutionary base of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province. He said that he admired the great achievements the Chinese people have made through unremitting self-improvement and arduous efforts under the leadership of the CPC, and that he has gained a deep understanding of President Xi's people-centered thought.

King Sihamoni's trip to Yan'an, following in the footsteps of his father Norodom Sihanouk and the Queen Mother 50 years ago, was a journey to carry forward and enhance friendship, Xi said.

China will continue its efforts to take the Sino-Cambodian comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership to a new level, Xi said.

Global Times