The official diplomatic relations between Cambodia and China have lasted more than 60 years. The relations between the two countries have been established by our old generation leaders and continued to flourish until now. The two countries cherish the traditional friendship that has withstood the test of time and changes in the international situation.In April 2006, China and Cambodia agreed to forge a “Comprehensive Partnership of Cooperation”, subsequently in December 2010, the two countries upgraded their bilateral ties to a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Cooperation”. Moreover, the two countries also signed “Action Plan 2019-2023 on Building China-Cambodia Community of Shared Future” in April 2019. Cambodia-China ties will definitely move towards a community of a shared future, where the two countries and peoples grow together in harmony.This paper seeks to overview the brief history of Cambodia-China relations and how the two countries join hands to build a community of a shared future.Relations between Cambodia and China date back at least to the 13th century, when Chinese emissary Zhou Daguan—also known by his Khmer language name Chiv Ta Koan—visited the Kingdom of Angkor for one year, from 1296 to 1297. More than 700 years later, ties between the two countries are at their strongest ever. Despite their long diplomatic history, China and Cambodia only truly grew close during the Second World War and after Cambodia gained its independence from France in 1953.The diplomatic relations between Cambodia and China were officially established on July 19, 1958. Chinese leaders of different generations have been very close to King Sihanouk and cultivated profound friendships with him personally. With this, it lays a solid foundation for longstanding and stable development of relationship during then Prince Sihanouk’s administration. China had long appreciated King Sihanouk for his assistance in breaking China’s isolation in the 1960s by campaigning at the UN for the expulsion of the delegation Taiwan adminstration and the seating at the UN of China mainland.Their tie was further flourishing during the early post-independent Cambodia and King Norodom Sihanouk, at a personal level, was able to cultivate a profound friendly relationship with different generations of Chinese leaders. It is that this friendly relationship that lays a solid foundation for long-standing cooperation between the two nations.Political ties between the two countries have been bolstered considerably since 1997. In 2000, President Jiang Zemin became the first Chinese head of state to visit Cambodia, and his trip was followed by NPC Committee Chairman Li Peng in 2001 and Premier Zhu Rongji in 2002. Prime Minister Hun Sen has become a frequent visitor to China post-1997.In 2000 Cambodia reached the first of three important milestones in its relations with China. In November, President Jiang Zemin became the first Chinese head state to visit Cambodia. At the conclusion of his trip, the two sides adopted the Joint Statement on the Framework of Bilateral Cooperation between the People’s Republic of China and the Kingdom of Cambodia. This agreement set out greater bilateral cooperation between the governments, parliaments, political parties, and armed forces of the two countries. The joint statement also made provision for diplomatic consultations and expanded trade and investment ties.Cambodia’s relations with China passed their second milestone in April 2006 during a visit of Premier Wen Jiabao. At the end of Premier Wen’s trip, the two sides adopted an agreement on a comprehensive partnership for cooperation. This document contained provisions for stepped-up party-to-party ties, legislative exchanges, and consultations on international and regional issues. Premier Wen pledged the US $600 million in financial support over the next four years. Cambodia and China also agreed to speed up China-ASEAN negotiations on a free trade agreement and to promote an ASEAN-China strategic dialogue.In December 2008, in further development in bilateral relations, China launched China-Cambodia Friendship Radio and opened its first Confucius Institute in Phnom Penh. These developments were part of a concerted push to promote Chinese studies, language, and cultural programs among Cambodians and were approved by the Cambodian government.In December 2010, Cambodia and China reached the third milestone in their bilateral relations when Prime Minister Hun Sen and President Hu Jintao met in Beijing and agreed to raise bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership. At the end of his visit, Hun Sen witnessed the signing of agreements on strengthening cooperation in energy security, infrastructure development, finance, and consular affairs.The year 2012 marks an important turning point in Cambodia-China relations under the comprehensive strategic partnership. In 2012 Cambodia assumed the role of ASEAN chair and hosted a number of ASEAN ministerial meetings, ASEAN summits, and other ASEAN-related meetings such as the ASEAN Plus Three Summit and the East Asia Summit. During the year, Cambodia hosted visits by President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao. New agreements on aid and trade were made after each visit.President Hu Jintao visited Cambodia in late March-early April on the eve of the twentieth ASEAN summit. This marked the first time in twelve years since a Chinese head of state visited Cambodia. The media reported that Hu asked Hun Sen as ASEAN chair not to “push” the China South Sea issue and received the pledge that Cambodia shared China’s view that the China South Sea should not be internationalized. China Daily (March 31, 2012) quoted the Chinese ambassador to Cambodia as stating, “Cambodia, as chair country for the ASEAN meetings, will help coordinate ties between China and other ASEAN countries,” and further stated it would urge other involved ASEAN countries not to let China South Sea issues affect bilateral ties.In April 2019, the two countries also signed “Action Plan 2019-2023 on Building China-Cambodia Community of Shared Future”. Under this action plan, the two countries committed to undertake 31 measures in the five domains of politics, security, economics, people-to-people relations, and multilateral cooperation.Cambodia has fully and actively engaged in BRI for the fact that economic development opportunities generated from this initiative are believed to be tremendous. Tangibly, by the end of 2017, more than 2,000 km of roads, seven large bridges, and a new container terminal at Phnom Penh Autonomous Port were constructed with the support from China. A new inter-national airport in Siem Reap, Dara Sakor International Airport in Koh Kong province, and an international airport in Kandal province amount to nearly 3 billion USD in approved airport projects. More interestingly, the 2 billion USD Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Express-way Project has been constructed by the China Communications Construction Group Co. Ltd.In the energy sector, more than 7.5 billion USD in hydropower plants and about 4 billion USD in coal power plants have been invested as well as some 30 agricultural and agro-industrial projects (of which 21 are in operation).China is involved in constructing the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone (SSEZ) which has attracted more than 100 companies from China and other countries with a total investment of more than 3 billion USD as of 2017 and created nearly 20,000 jobs for the local community. Moreover, Chinese investment in the textiles and clothing industries also contributes significantly to Cambodia’s socio-economic development by creating job opportunities for almost one million Cambodian workers.According to statistics released by the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC), of the cumulative foreign direct investment (FDI) approved in the period of 1994-2019, the largest share was from China (21.81 percent), which in the early years was the source of extensive investment in the field of infrastructure, energy, resource development including rubber, and tourism.By 2017, Cambodia had received approximately 4.2 billion USD in Official Development Assistance (ODA) from China in the form of grants and soft loans. This ODA has targeted physical infrastructure, agriculture, health, and education. China is also the main source of Cambodia’s public external debt. By the end of 2017, Cambodia’s public external debt was 9.6 billion USD, of which around 42 percent was owed to China. China also pledged 600 million USD in grants to Cambodia from 2019 to 2021.In terms of the tourism sector, 15 airline companies are operating regularly between Cambodia and China. In the first nine months of 2019, Cambodia has received approximately 1.8 million Chinese tourists, and exceeded 2 million in 2020.In the educational sector, from 2004 to 2017, China offered more than 1,000 scholarships to Cambodian students to pursue their education in China, and more than 700 fellowships for short-term training. Several- al other exchange programs have been conducted among government officials, media, youth, and academics with the funding support from the Chinese government.Good relations between China, Cambodia has great benefits in terms of politics, strategy, and especially in the economic aspect; however, these healthy relations with China make Cambodia’s diplomatic relations with world other powers become unclear, as seen by outside views. So, it is suggested that Cambodia should adopt a multi-vector foreign policy without too much focus on a single power. It will balance Cambodia in its foreign affairs and enable Cambodia to expand its international cooperation space with other friendly countries.However, good relations between Cambodia and China should not be a barrier for Cambodia to have other countries or powers, nor do they put the country at risk. The good relations between Cambodia and China have always been based on the principle of equal rights and equal footing, respecting one another’s interests and adhering to the principle of non-interference. Under the Belt and Road Initiative, China has been a locomotive of regional and global development and connectivity. The “Belt and Road” crosses the mainland of Asia, Europe, and Africa, one end of which is the vibrant Asian economy and the other is the flourishing European economy, and in the middle are the countries with great potential.In the context of growing competition and geopolitical uncertainty, fueled by the intensifying competition between trade war powers and pro-globalist and anti-globalization trends, everyone looks forward to that through the “Belt and Road Initiative”, countries of the world will join hands to create green, strong, smart and peaceful Silk Road, to maintain a globalization with a vibrant, more open, stronger and more stable and sustainable economy.It is well recognized that the relationship between the two countries is on the right track and has been very positively fruitful for both countries, especially for Cambodia. China’s trade flow and investment and Chinese people into Cambodia have contributed greatly to the development and contribution of Cambodia’s GDP, but it also raises issues such as misunderstanding and misinterpretation of the image of the Chinese people in Cambodia. This trend requires a better understanding of the culture and traditions of the residents and the rules-based investment and trade. The promotion of the people-to-people relationship must go hand in hand with cultural education and the behavior of the peoples of the two countries in a multicultural world.If we look at the geographical aspect, despite Cambodia and China do not share a common border, the two countries are bounded by the Mekong and Lancang Rivers, which are the major irrigation sources and the major food bowl of the people of the two countries that have been living along the river. The Mekong and Lancang have provided water for both agriculture, industry, and river biodiversity.In the political arena, relations between the two countries have always been based on respect for sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs, and respect for each other’s interests. Cambodia has always adhered to the “One China” policy position. In addition, Cambodia also has good relations with China, both at the bilateral and multilateral levels within the ASEAN framework, such as ASEAN + 3, ASEAN + 1, and the Lancang-Mekong cooperation framework.The two countries fully uphold multilateralism, especially the multilateral trading system, whereby the World Trade Organisation is the core driver for promoting international relations based on the principles of mutual respects, equity, and win-win cooperation for the sake of realizing the community of shared future of mankind.From an economic standpoint, China is Cambodia’s largest foreign investor, donor and trade partner. China has been a major contributor to the development of Cambodia.In addition to its economic and political clout expansion in Cambodia, Chinese culture and language fit seamlessly into the Cambodian society as well. In terms of population, China is the most populous country in the world. It is widely known that Chinese people have been to the rest of the world since upon the time, and they have brought with them the Chinese culture, tradition, belief, and so on. Cambodia is not an exception.The relations between the two countries are healthy ones and go beyond the official agreements and arrangements, beyond the inter-governmental meetings and interactions. People-to-people contacts continue to be an important area of Cambodia-China socio-cultural cooperation. Exchange programmes have been conducted in the areas of culture, government officials, media, youth, and academics with the funding support of the Chinese government. In terms of trade, tourism, and educational and cultural exchanges, the relations of the two countries have reached a new peak. Cambodia-China ties will definitely move towards a community of shared future, where the two countries and peoples grow together in harmony.However, it is needed to promote a culture of dialogue, uphold further frank dialogues on the Cambodia-China cooperation and its latest directions as well as developments. The researchers and all stakeholders of both countries must be well informed on the evolution and development of Cambodia-China relations and cooperation between them by focusing on achievements, challenges, and opportunities for political, economic, and socio-cultural cooperation and connectivity, and what its next moves. Moreover, it is important to a meeting center for further frank dialogues on the Cambodia-China cooperation and its latest directions as well as developments, so that any misunderstandings and confusions among concerned actors would be able to be reduced, and some consensus steps would be able to be in place in an attempt to further improve bilateral cooperation, peace, harmony and prosperity in the two countries and in the region.