China cherishes its special friendship with the Cambodian royal family and places great value on developing bilateral relations, President Xi Jinping said on Thursday.

"China will always be Cambodia's good partner and friend," he told Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni in Phnom Penh on Thursday after arriving for his first visit to the country as president.

Xi was welcomed by more than 10,000 people who gathered outside the palace square, waving national flags, carrying leaders' portraits and bouquets. Sihamoni held a grand welcoming ceremony for Xi.