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| Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni (right) and China's President Xi Jinping walk beside Chinese paramilitary guards during the welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on June 3, 2016. (FRED DUFOUR / AFP) |
His trips represent China's latest effort to seek common development and growth under the initiative. They also reaffirm China's commitment to its neighborhood diplomacy featuring amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness.
Strategic cooperation
Xi's state visits to Cambodia and Bangladesh will serve to deepen strategic cooperation and step up regional connectivity under the initiative.
There is great potential in Cambodia's cooperation with China, its largest trading partner and source of foreign investment, as its development strategy is highly complimentary with the Chinese initiative.
Xi's trips represent China's latest effort to seek common development and growth under the Belt and Road Initiative
As an important hub of transport in Southeast Asia, Cambodia also held a key position on the ancient maritime silk road that used to connect the East with the West.
China and Cambodia are building the Sihanoukville special economic zone in southwestern Cambodia as an example of collaboration under the Belt and Road Initiative, while expanding concrete cooperation in sectors including economics and trade, infrastructure and energy resources.
In Bangladesh, a series of initial projects started under the Chinese initiative are expected to strengthen bilateral trade links and people-to-people exchanges.
The infrastructure projects include Padma Bridge near the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka, the underwater tunnel of Karnaphuli River in the country's southeast, the upgrade of power distribution system and the extension of the N8 highway to connect with Padma Bridge.
With Bangladesh at the center of the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor, Xi's visit is expected to boost consensus and the economic corridor's construction, stimulating economic growth in Bangladesh, Chai Xi, a former Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh, commented.
