BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday congratulated Cambodia on the 70th anniversary of its independence.

In a congratulatory message to Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, Xi said that the Cambodian people have been committed to pursuing a development path suited to their national conditions and have constantly made new achievements in the course of national construction in recent years.

As a traditional friendly neighboring country, China will, as always, firmly support Cambodia in maintaining stability, promoting development and improving people's livelihood, Xi said.

Noting that this year marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of China-Cambodia diplomatic ties and the Year of China-Cambodia Friendship, Xi recalled that he and King Sihamoni met in Beijing and Hangzhou this year to draw up the blueprint for a China-Cambodia community with a shared future.

Xi said he attaches great importance to the development of China-Cambodia relations and is ready to work with King Sihamoni to strengthen the strategic guidance for bilateral relations, so as to jointly build a high-quality, high-level and high-standard China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era.

On the same day, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, sent a congratulatory message to Samdech Techo Hun Sen, president of the Cambodian People's Party.