Cui Li, vice-president of the Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission (GNFCC) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), visited Cambodia from March 1 to 4 at the invitation of the Civil Society Alliance Forum (CSAF) of Cambodia.

During her visit, Cui met with Kemreat Viseth, board chairman of the CSAF. The two sides held in-depth discussions on promoting people-to-people exchanges and cooperation and signed a memorandum of cooperation.

Cui spoke highly of the development of China-Cambodia relations and the good cooperative ties between the GNFCC and the CSAF. She expressed the GNFCC's readiness to strengthen collaboration with the CSAF under the theme of the "SCO Year of Sustainable Development". She called for joint efforts to establish more platforms for pragmatic cooperation, and expand exchanges and cooperation in healthcare, culture, and the digital economy between the two countries and within the SCO framework, for the greater benefit of the people of both countries and the SCO family.

While visiting the Confucius Institute at the Royal University of Agriculture in Cambodia, Cui noted that the Confucius Institute is not only a platform for Chinese language teaching but also a window to showcase Chinese culture. She said that the GNFCC will donate 100 books produced by the publishing houses of SCO countries to the institute, in a bid to further promote exchanges in education and youth development between the two sides.

During her visit to the Cambodia-China Friendship Preah Kossamak Hospital, Cui noted that healthcare cooperation has been a priority for the GNFCC. Noting that the GNFCC will hold the International Medical Innovation and Cooperation Forum and the SCO Forum on Traditional Medicine this year, Cui welcomed Cambodia's participation to further expand bilateral cooperation in areas such as healthcare and traditional medicine.

Cui also visited the National Museum of Cambodia and expressed a willingness to further strengthen exchanges with the Cambodian side in the field of museums and culture.

The Cambodian side warmly welcomed Cui and her delegation, and expressed readiness to actively participate in various events hosted by China during its rotating presidency of the SCO. They highly praised the GNFCC's positive role in promoting people-to-people exchanges within the SCO and looked forward to further strengthening cooperation with the GNFCC to promote such exchanges between the two countries, contributing to the long-term development of bilateral relations and enhancing people-to-people connectivity within the SCO family.