Cambodian Princess Norodom Jenna extended warm greetings and presented a special welcome gift to Chinese President Xi Jinping when he arrived in Phnom Penh on Thursday.
The princess bestowed Xi with a jasmine flower bracelet -- a traditional good luck charm which holds deep cultural significance in Cambodia -- and delivered well wishes in Chinese to the arriving guests at the airport.
Xi is paying a state visit to Cambodia at the invitation of King Norodom Sihamoni, with this marking his second visit to the Southeast Asian country in nine years.
Speaking at the airport just ahead of Xi's arrival, Princess Jenna said she felt very happy and honored to present the flower bracelet to the Chinese president, and said she is also hopeful Xi's visit will help deepen ties between China and Cambodia.
"[His visit will] focus on our Cambodian-China friendship, which is going to make our Cambodian-China friendship [grow] even closely [through] his presence for this trip. So we're all very happy," she said.
The princess said she had recently visited China herself and hopes to have the chance to return to the country soon.
"Because I just came back. So, I will maybe go back very soon too," she said.
Cambodia marks the final leg of Xi's five-day, three-nation Southeast Asia tour which saw him complete state visits to Vietnam and Malaysia prior to arriving in Phnom Penh.
Cambodian princess presents welcome gift to Xi at airport
The China-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum is expected to bring new vitality to the global development and human civilization, said Colombian President Gustavo Petro in Beijing.
Petro, who delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC Forum on Wednesday, told China Media Group (CMG) in an interview, while giving a special mention of the importance of the forum as a platform to reshape multilateralism.
"This Forum, held here in China, comes at a pivotal moment in history. And that's precisely what makes it so significant. It is taking place at a time when multilateralism is in urgent need of reshaping. There are some powers who believe they can rule the world through intimidation and shows of force. But with China and Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries standing together, we must make them understand: history is full of hard lessons. Those who once flexed their military might did not prevail. They may have enjoyed momentary success in the past, but this time, history will not repeat itself," he said.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the China-CELAC Forum's operation.
Chinese President Xi Jinping stated in his speech delivered at the opening ceremony of the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC Forum that under the careful cultivation of both sides over the past 10 years, the China-CELAC Forum has grown from a tender sapling into a towering tree.
Petro hailed the relations between China and LAC countries over the past decade, saying that the cooperation is expected to energize the global development and human civilization.
"Yes, exactly, a tree. A strong and thriving tree, with deep and well-developed roots firmly anchored in the earth. There's no doubt that over the past ten years, trade in physical goods between China and LAC countries has grown substantially. China is involved in building the Bogota metro project. China is also constructing a port in Peru, and many other large-scale infrastructure projects are being advanced through Chinese investment and engineering expertise. When we link the cultural and civilizational threads of China and LAC countries, it's as if we are nurturing a living tree, one that grows tall toward the sky and promises to bring new vitality to the human civilization," he said.
China-CELAC Forum brings new vitality to global development: Colombian president
