Chinese foreign minister praises Cambodia for support

Published April 22, 2016

FILE - In this April 8, 2016 file photo, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi gestures during a joint press conference with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Beijing. Wang Yi, who is on a two day visit to Cambodia, said at a press conference in Phnom Penh, Friday, April 22, 2016 that he was delighted that Cambodia often supported Beijing's positions on world affairs. China is at odds with several of Cambodia's fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations who accuse Beijing of illegitimately extending territorial claims in the South China Sea. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File) (The Associated Press)

China's top diplomat has paid a two-day official visit to Cambodia, one of its closest allies in Southeast Asia.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at a news conference Friday with his Cambodian counterpart Prak Sokhon said he was delighted that Cambodia often supported Beijing's positions on world affairs. China is at odds with several of Cambodia's fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations who accuse Beijing of illegitimately extending territorial claims in the South China Sea.

The two ministers said Cambodia backs Beijing's call for a solution that does not involve interference from outside — an unstated reference to U.S. naval support for some of the countries challenging Beijing's claims.

Cambodia, one of the region's least-developed countries, enjoys large amounts of aid and investment from China.

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