Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1600 GMT, Jan. 25

OSAKA, Japan -- Politicians from China and Japan had an in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations at an event held in Osaka Friday, calling for sound and stable development of relations between the two countries.

China and Japan are important neighbors to each other, said Chinese Ambassador Cheng Yonghua at the third China-Japan friendly exchange conference of West Japan held by the Chinese Consulate General in Osaka. (Japan-China-Ties)

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PHNOM PENH -- Chinese Ambassador Wang Wentian said here Friday that Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen's visit to China has injected new impetus to the comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation between the two countries.

Hun Sen paid an official visit to Beijing on Jan. 20-23.

Ambassador Wang told a press conference that cooperation documents in the fields of people's livelihood, transport and infrastructure were signed during the visit. (Cambodia-China-Visit)

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MANILA -- The Commission Elections (Comelec) of the Philippines proclaimed a victory for "yes" votes on Friday to ratify the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) in the Jan. 21 referendum in provinces of the southern Philippines.

In the final tally, Comelec said 1,540,017 voted in favor of BOL while 198,750 voted against the decree that would establish the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). (Philippines-Mindanao-Referendum)

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HONG KONG -- China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government on Friday welcomed the Heritage Foundation's high regard for Hong Kong as the world's freest economy for the 25th consecutive year.

In this year's Index of Economic Freedom report, Hong Kong's overall score remained at 90.2. This makes Hong Kong once again the only economy attaining an overall score higher than 90. (Hong Kong-Free Economy) Enditem