China's top legislator said in Beijing Wednesday that the new Chinese leadership treasures Sino-Cambodian relations and is ready to make the utmost efforts to lift bilateral relations to a higher level.  

During a meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People's Congress (NPC), said China supports Cambodia in its endeavor to maintain stability, promote national unity and develop economy. China supports Cambodia to pursue its own route of development that conforms to the real conditions of the country, he noted.

Wu said that the NPC and the parliament of Cambodia have maintained friendly exchanges and cooperative ties at various levels over the past few years. He expressed the wish to continue to exchange experience with Cambodia.

Wu also highly appreciated Cambodia for its firm adherence to the one-China policy.

Hun Sen said he is impressed with the achievements that China has made since his visit to the country five years ago. The aim of his current visit, he added, is to learn from the development experience of China.

He went on to say that the Cambodian government is ready to build on the heritage of friendship built and nurtured by the leaders of the older generation of both countries, which constituted common assets of the people of the two countries, and to further expand the traditional friendship and bilateral cooperation.

Reaffirming that the Cambodian government will unswervingly keep to the one China policy under any circumstances, Hun Sen said Cambodia will never allow "Taiwan independence" forces to carry out any form of separatist activities in Cambodia.

Cambodia will also go on giving unconditional support to China on international affairs, Hun Sen said.

(Xinhua News Agency April 22, 2004)