Скачать или смотреть CHINA: CAMBODIAN KING SIHANOUK ARRIVES FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT

(24 Jun 1999) Natural Sound

Cambodia's ailing King Norodom Sihanouk arrived in Beijing on Thursday for what was expected to be two months of medical treatment.

A member of the King's family in Phnom Penh described the 76-year-old monarch's health as stable, but said he needed immediate care.

The Royal Air Cambodge jet touched down at Beijing's old airport on Thursday.

King Norodom Sihanouk appeared to be in good health as he confidently descended the red-carpeted steps of the plane with Queen Norodom Monineath.

Rumoured to be ailing in recent months, the king's daughter, speaking earlier in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, described the 76-year-old monarch as being in need of immediate care.

Princess Norodom Bopha Devi told reporters Sihanouk had suffered a "complication" from a prior illness, but that it was not a serious affliction.

There's been no elaboration on his health problem.

Among other ailments, King Sihanouk is reported to be suffering from cancer of the colon.

He has been undergoing a mix of western and traditional Chinese medicines and frequently receives medical treatment in Beijing where he keeps a royal residence.

On arrival in Beijing, officials said the king was met by his son, parliamentary speaker Prince Norodom Ranariddh, who is touring China to drum up support for investment in Cambodia's sluggish economy.

During his absence from Cambodia, Sihanouk is planning to make a trip to North Korea, where he has a residence that was a gift from late communist leader Kim Il Sung in the early 1970s, when the king was in exile.

Despite his royal blood, he forged close contacts with communist leaders in Beijing and Pyongyang during the Cold War.

He's been a close friend of Chinese leaders for decades.

The king was last in China only seven weeks ago when he attended the opening of the Kunming '99 International Horticulture Expo, an ambitious effort by China to promote its southwestern region as a centre for trade and tourism.

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