Zhao Leji, chairman of China's National People's Congress Standing Committee, holds talks with Cambodia's National Assembly President Khuon Sudary, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept 23, 2024. [Xinhua/Yao Dawei]

BEIJING -- China's National People's Congress (NPC) and Cambodia's National Assembly on Monday signed a cooperation agreement to raise bilateral cooperation to new heights.

The agreement was signed by Zhao Leji, chairman of China’s NPC Standing Committee, and Cambodia's National Assembly President Khuon Sudary after the pair held talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Zhao said that the construction of a China-Cambodia community with a shared future has, under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, entered a new high-quality, high-level and high-standard era.

China is willing to work with Cambodia to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, enrich the connotations of the Diamond Hexagon cooperation framework, and deepen and make solid progress in the construction of a China-Cambodia community with a shared future, Zhao added.

Noting that China has always placed Cambodia in a special and important position in its neighborhood diplomacy, Zhao said China is willing to maintain high-level strategic communication and work with Cambodia to support each other firmly on issues concerning the two countries' core interests.

China is ready to accelerate development strategy synergy with Cambodia and comprehensively advance cooperation in politics, production capacities, agriculture, energy, security and people-to-people exchange, Zhao said. China is also willing to practice genuine multilateralism and work with Cambodia to safeguard the hard-won peace and stability of the region, he added.

He said that China's NPC stands ready to make joint efforts with the Cambodian legislature to give full play to the role of the counterpart exchange mechanism, coordinate various forms of cooperation, strengthen the exchange of experience in legislation and supervision, and provide a legal guarantee for pragmatic cooperation between the two countries.

Zhao also called on both sides to maintain close coordination and cooperation within multilateral parliamentary organizations to safeguard the interests of developing countries, and noted that the legislatures of China and Cambodia can strengthen exchange and mutual learning in developing democracy and improving the rule of law.

Khuon Sudary said that Cambodia upholds the one-China principle firmly and actively supports the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as the three major global initiatives that have been put forward by China.

The Cambodian National Assembly is willing to strengthen friendly exchange with China's NPC and make positive contributions to the development of bilateral relations, the consolidation of their traditional friendship, and the promotion of practical cooperation in such fields as the economy, trade and culture, she added.

Zhao Leji, chairman of China's National People's Congress Standing Committee, holds talks with Cambodia's National Assembly President Khuon Sudary, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept 23, 2024. [Xinhua/Yao Dawei]