Street talk

I was born and raised in the area where King Norodom Sihanouk had lived since he moved to Beijing. He was a very good friend of Chinese leaders from different generations. China respected him and treated him very well. The place he lived was the French embassy before the New China was founded and when he moved in, the Chinese leaders asked people to build an indoor swimming pool because they knew he loved swimming. The late king had a wide network of friends in China because he traveled to many places around the country. It's because of him that Cambodia always gives full support to China in international affairs.

Peng Zaisheng, 61, a Beijing resident who lives close to the former king's residence

When I was in primary school, my classmates and I lined the streets to welcome the former king of Cambodia, who was visiting the city of Nanjing in the company of Premier Zhou Enlai. When he waved to us, Sihanouk looked very gentle and affable. He was always a friend to the Chinese people.