Xi Jinping Boulevard in Phnom Penh a ‘new milestone’ in Chinese-Cambodian relations
- Renamed third ring road in Cambodian capital honours country’s ‘inseparable’ relationship with China, prime minister says
- Beijing-funded road is second major thoroughfare to be named after a Chinese leader
Cambodia’s capital has renamed a major road after Chinese President Xi Jinping in recognition of the country’s friendly relationship with China.
“The relationship between Cambodia and China has a long history and has grown to an inseparable level. This relationship is worthy of the values of mutual trust, especially political trust,” Hun Manet said in his post.
He also mentioned China’s huge infrastructure investment in Cambodia, including nearly 4,000km (2,486 miles) of road construction.
Wang Wentian, Beijing’s top envoy in Phnom Penh, said at the inauguration ceremony on Tuesday that the road would be a “new milestone” in bilateral relations, according to an article posted on the official WeChat account of the Chinese embassy in Cambodia.
Hun Manet, who also attended Tuesday’s ceremony, said the naming of the road, which began construction in 2019 and went into service last August, was intended as thanks to Xi for his “historic contribution” to Cambodia’s development, the article said.
The 48km boulevard, which cost US$273 million and was built by Shanghai Construction Group, was financed on concessional terms by Beijing, with contributions from the Cambodian government, the Phnom Penh-based Khmer Times reported on Wednesday.
