Norodom Sihanouk’s Deep Connection to China

Wang Fengjuan

“China will never scorn or ignore any small， weak nations independence or sovereignty， a consistent value that has fueled Norodom Sihanouks sentimental attachment to China as manifested in his original song ‘Nostalgia of China，” remarked Fu Xuezhang， former Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia and one of the first Chinese diplomats to establish personal contact with the former Cambodian king.

“Cambodian people view Sihanouk as the ‘Father of Independence due to his great contributions in leading the struggle to end French colonial rule over Cambodia that lasted 90 years，” Fu added. “As a true friend of China and a pioneering contributor to friendly Sino-Cambodian ties， Sihanouk actively collaborated with earlier generations of Chinese leaders to compose a symphony of friendship between the two countries.”

‘Father of Independence

Norodom Sihanouk was one of the longest-ruling royal national leaders in Asia. Throughout his legendary lifetime， especially in politics， the king was not only deeply loved by the Cambodian people， but also highly respected by the Chinese for his unremitting efforts to promote friendship between China and Cambodia， thus often described as “an old friend of the Chinese.”

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Cambodia. The past six decades have composed a unique history of fruitful bilateral relations between the two countries. On February 14， 1956， Sihanouk first set foot on Chinese soil and received a warm welcome in Beijing. He gifted a Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Cambodia to Chairman Mao Zedong， and China promised to provide economic and technological aid to Cambodia without strings attached. In 1958， thanks to the efforts of then-Cambodian Prime Minister Sihanouk and Chinese leaders， China and Cambodia signed a joint communiqué announcing the formal establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Sihanouk developed close personal intimacy with the first-generation leaders of the Peoples Republic. In his lifetime， he lived in exile twice， and both times he chose to stay in China.

On March 18， 1970， while Sihanouk was on a visit abroad， then Prime Minister Lon Nol staged a coup， marking a turning point for both Sihanouk and his country. After careful consideration， Sihanouk opted to flee to Beijing. When the E27 aircraft he boarded landed in Beijing， he received a warm greeting.

According to She Chunshu， who was accompanying Premier Zhou Enlai to greet Sihanouk at the airport as a staffer of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs， the first sentence the Chinese premier said to Sihanouk was： “You are still the only head of state of Cambodia we acknowledge.” Sihanouk also documented this moving scene in his memoir， declaring “The dark clouds that shrouded my life vanished immediately.”

In the five years that followed， Sihanouk lived in a quiet small compound in downtown Beijing， where many important moments of his life were chronicled as part of modern Cambodian history.

Fu Xuezhang opined to China Report ASEAN that Norodom Sihanouk was a far-sighted head of state who handled national affairs with a broad vision and political wisdom. His governance style was free of ideological constraint and broke away from the Cold War mentality， putting the peoples interests above all else.

‘My Second Home

“I always consider China my second home， and I hope that traditional friendship between Cambodia and China will live on from generation to generation，” Sihanouk once declared， a sentiment that he reiterated on many occasions.

In 1975， the Lon Nol regime was overthrown， and Sihanouk returned to Phnom Penh， Cambodias capital. Before departing Beijing， the versatile king composed a song， “My Dear Second Motherland.” Of the three songs he created to commemorate his bond with China， this one features the most sentimental lyric： “China， my dear second motherland， you shared with us your precious friendship even as we suffered hardships….” Even when he was almost 90 years old， he still often sang the three songs and became emotional each time.

On October 23， 1991， the Agreement on a Comprehensive Political Settlement of the Cambodian Conflict （Paris Peace Agreement） was signed in Paris. Two days later， the Chinese delegation and Sihanouk flew to Beijing together on the same Chinese aircraft. During the flight， then-Chinese Foreign Minister Qian Qichen informed Sihanouk that Fu Xuezhang would be appointed Chinas ambassador-rank representative to the Supreme National Council of Cambodia. The news delighted Sihanouk， who immediately extended congratulations and best wishes to Fu.

On November 13， accompanied by Fu， Sihanouk left Beijing for Phnom Penh， after living in exile for 13 years. During the flight， he recounted many personal stories to Fu， describing his struggle for Cambodias independence and freedom. He also reminded Fu that China had come to his aid more than once when Cambodia suffered calamities in its fight for national independence.

“China always backed me up， even when I was deposed as head of state and forced into exile，” Sihanouk said to Fu. “Friends are always friends， and Sihanouk remains Sihanouk. They supported me， helped me and accommodated me.”

Sihanouks devotion to his country and his people also won him great respect from Cambodian citizens. Kim Leng， a Cambodian student currently studying in China， revealed his sincere respect for Sihanouk to China Report ASEAN： “He is our revered King Father， who led the ‘crusade leading to Cambodias independence and loved the people as his own children.”

In 1993， Sihanouk， then 71， was diagnosed with cancer during a routine physical checkup at Beijing Hospital. He stayed calm and strong while actively participating in treatment. In June 2009， he published an autographed letter on his personal website， announcing his third successful cancer treatment and expressing gratitude to Chinese doctors. “If I had to name a reason I was able to successfully survive cancer multiple times to remain healthy at 87， I can only think of the great， friendly and generous country of China and its skilled doctors and unmatched nurses.”

On October 15， 2012， Norodom Sihanouk passed away at Beijing Hospital at the age of 90， leaving behind an outstanding legacy marked by time-tested kinship between China and Cambodia.