BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) on its landslide victory in a letter on July 25. The party is celebrating winning 120 of the 125 National Assembly seats in Sunday’s election, which will not be officially confirmed until at least August.

In a letter to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, President Xi Jinping said, “It has been a great pleasure to witness that under the wise leadership of the Cambodian Royal Government headed by Samdech President, Cambodia has achieved political stability, economic development, rising living standards and growing international and regional stature.” His commendation came on behalf of his own long-reigning Communist Party of China (CPC), whose government is the primary investor in Cambodia’s development. “China will continue to support Cambodia in pursuing a development path that suits its national conditions,” he said.

His sentiments echo statements from the CPC observers and China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, both of whom released statements hailing Sunday’s election as peaceful and democratic.

Earlier this month, President Xi Jinping exchanged letters with King Norodom Sihamoni, celebrating 65 years of friendly diplomatic relationships forged by their predecessors, Mao Zedong and King Norodom Sihanouk.

In the letter to the Cambodian Prime Minister, the Chinese president reiterated, “I stand ready to work with [Prime Minister Hun Sen] to strengthen political guidance…deepen exchanges and…to jointly build a high-quality, high-level and high-standard China-Cambodia Community with a Shared Future in the new era to the greater benefit of both countries and peoples.”