On October 15, 2012, Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping visited Cambodian Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk in Beijing to express his condolence and sympathy over the death of Cambodian King Father Norodom Sihanouk.

After a silent tribute in front of a portrait of Sihanouk, Xi expressed his profound shock and grief in learning that His Majesty former King Sihanouk died of illness this morning in Beijing. On behalf of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the Chinese government and the people, Xi extended deep condolences and sincere sympathies to the former queen, King of Cambodia Norodom Sihamoni, other members of the royal family, the Cambodian government and the people.

Xi said Sihanouk, a great leader loved and esteemed by the Cambodian people, devoted his whole life to the national independence and peaceful development of his country and performed immortal feats in the process. An old friend of the Chinese people, Sihanouk forged a profound friendship with generations of Chinese leaderships and made an indelible contribution to the creation and cultivation of China-Cambodia relations. As such, Sihanouk would live in the hearts of Chinese and Cambodian people forever. Xi said it was his conviction that, with the joint efforts of both sides, the traditional friendship between the two countries as well as the two peoples would continue to prosper, and the friendly bilateral relations nurtured by the former king Sihanouk and older generations of Chinese leaders would be carried forward and passed on to future generations.

Pledging that China was ready to assist Cambodia in making related arrangements in the wake of the death of King Father Sihanouk, Xi asked the Queen Mother to restrain her grief and take good care of her own health.

Monineath thanked Xi for his visit. She said former King Sihanouk was a loyal, old and good friend of the Chinese people, who pursued a long-term friendly policy towards China over the years and lived in the country for a long period. She said China was a second home for Sihanouk and her as the Chinese took care of them during their stay. She also thanked those for the treatment given to Sihanouk after his seizure. Monineath said she believed the friendship and cooperation between Cambodia and China would continue to develop.

Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo, director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee Li Zhanshu and Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi accompanied Xi during the visit.