Sino-Cambodian Treaty of Friendship and Mutual Non-AggressionArticle I. The Contracting Parties recognize and respect each
other’s independence, sovereignty and territorial Integrity.
Article II. The Contracting Parties will maintain and develop
peaceful and friendly relations between the two countries. They
undertake to settle all disputes between them by means of
peaceful negotiation without resorting to force.
Article III. Each Contracting Party undertakes not to com-
mit aggression against the other and not to take part in any mil-
itary alliance directed against it.
Article IV. The Contracting Parties have agreed to develop
and further strengthen the economic and cultural relations
between the two countries in a spirit of friendship and coopera-
tion and in accordance with the principles of equality and
mutual benefit and of non-interference in each other’s internal
affairs.
Article V. The present Treaty is subject to ratification and the
instruments of ratification will be exchanged in Peking as soon
as possible.
The present Treaty will come into force immediately on the
exchange of the instruments of ratification and will remain in
force for a period of ten years.
Unless either of the Contracting Parties gives to the other
notice in writing to terminate it at least one year before the
expiration of this period, it will remain in force indefinitely,
subject to the right of either Party to terminate it after it has
been valid for ten years by giving to the other in writing notice
of its intention to do so one year before its termination.
Done in duplicate in Kabul on the twenty-sixth day of
August, 1960, in the Chinese, Persian and English languages, all
texts being equally authentic.
Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China
(Signed) CHEN YI
Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Afghanistan
(Signed) SARDAR MOHAMMED NAIM
4.1370 Sino-Cambodian Treaty of Friendship
and Mutual Non-Aggression
Alliance Members:China and Cambodia
Signed On:December 19, 1960, in the city of Beijing (China). In
effect until May 5, 1970.
Alliance Type:Defense Pact (Type I)
Source:Treaties of the People’s Republic of China 1949–1978,p. 32–34.
SUMMARY
In 1960, Prince Norodom Sihanouk ascended to the throne in Cambo-
dia and immediately began trying to stabilize foreign policy during a
time of regional instability. A Chinese delegation including the pre-
mier, Zhou Enlai, and the foreign minister, Marshal Chen Yi, visited
Cambodia in May 1960. By statements these representatives made
during that visit, the two countries affirmed a pledge to develop better
relations. In July, Sihanouk declared that he had guaranteed support to
China in the event of a foreign threat and also stated that Chinese del-
egates had proposed a treaty between the two countries. By December,
after signing peace treaties with the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia,
Sihanouk visited Beijing and signed this treaty of friendship and non-
aggression in addition to two agreements regarding economic and
technical cooperation.
The treaties committed both countries to support a regional, Asian,
and Pacific non-aggression pact and nuclear-free zone. China agreed
to spend $6 million on improving the factories that had already been
given to Cambodia. China also agreed to build an iron works and
machine-tools factory and provide aid for the building of a railway.
Upon returning to Cambodia, Sihanouk responded to claims that
Cambodia was allying with communism by declaring that any nation,
including the United States, could provide aid for Cambodia.
By 1970, the Vietnam War began to spread across the Cambodian bor-
der. Prince Sihanouk, with the support of General Lon Nol, met with
the Soviets and the Chinese to enlist their help in persuading the Viet-
namese Communists to stop fighting on Cambodian soil. In March,
protests occurred in Phnom Penh over the Vietnamese border cross-
ings. While Sihanouk was out of the country, local upheaval reached
the point where he was voted out of office. Upon returning to the
country, Sihanouk protested his removal and declared his intention to
organize a liberation army to free Cambodia of its oppressors. That
intervention proved unsuccessful, however, and Sihanouk was ousted
from power. In Beijing on May 5, 1970, Prince Sihanouk announced a
government in exile, the United National Front of Cambodia. The
Chinese government immediately granted recognition to the exiled
government and severed its ties with the newly formed Cambodian
government.Alliance Text
Liu Shao-ch’i, Chairman of the People’s Republic of China, and
His Royal Highness Prince Norodom Sihanouk, Head of State
of Cambodia,
Desiring to maintain a lasting peace and a cordial friendship
between the People’s Republic of China and the Kingdom of
Cambodia.
Convinced that the strengthening of good-neighbourly rela-
tions and friendly co-operation between the People’s Republic
of China and the Kingdom of Cambodia conforms to the vital
interests of the two countries.
Have decided to conclude the present Treaty in accordance with
the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, the spirit of the
Asian-African Conference held in Bandung in 1955 and the
principles adopted at it, and
Have for this purpose appointed as their respective plenipoten-
tiaries:
For the People’s Republic of China: Chou En-lai, Premier
of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China.
For the Kingdom of Cambodia: His Excellency Pho Proe-
ung, Prime Minister of the Government of the Kingdom of
Cambodia;
Who, having exchanged and examined each other’s full pow-
ers, found in good and due form, have agreed upon the follow-
ing:
Article 1. The People’s Republic of China and the Kingdom
of Cambodia will maintain a lasting peace between them and
develop and consolidate their friendly relations.