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| Workers prepare flags for display in central Phnom Penh on March 29, 2012. |
Friday, Mar 30, 2012
Reuters
"We are not expecting any support from them," a Philippine foreign-ministry official told Reuters, referring to Cambodia and fellow "Mekong" countries Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, which have also been reluctant to raise the issue.
China's presence in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, is obvious. The city skyline is dotted with Chinese-funded projects.
But the full extent of Beijing's influence there will be tested when Chinese President Hu Jintao visits this week, ahead of a regional summit.
The timing of Mr Hu's visit has raised suspicion that Beijing may pressure Cambodia to curb discussions at a South-east Asian leaders' summit on the vexed question of the South China Sea.
Phnom Penh has already said the issue is off the agenda.
"They have the money, so they have the power," said Mr Sem On, a motorbike-taxi driver sitting on a railing near the second Chroy Changvar bridge, funded by US$27.5 million (S$35 million) in Chinese soft loans.
Mr Sem On complained that the Chinese-funded bridge employed more Chinese than Cambodian labourers. The bridge is being erected next to another bridge restored using Japanese funds in the 1990s, a concrete example of the shift in Asia's economic centre of gravity and in Cambodia's main source of development funds.
Cambodian President Hun Sen said China's investments come with no strings attached, but the assertion will be tested when Mr Hu makes his first visit today, four days ahead of the Asean leaders' summit where some countries will seek to address maritime tensions over the South China Sea.
The South China Sea tops South-east Asia's security agenda following a series of naval clashes over the vast region, believed to be rich in energy reserves.
The issue might worsen a divide within Asean over how to handle the decades-old territorial dispute, at a time when Washington is refocusing its attention on Asia.
"We are not expecting any support from them," a Philippine foreign-ministry official told Reuters, referring to Cambodia and fellow "Mekong" countries Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, which have also been reluctant to raise the issue.
Philippine officials say they are "very frustrated" over Chinese efforts to block discussion of the issue within Asean, and will insist on raising the matter in Phnom Penh even though Cambodia has declared it off the agenda.
"This is a real test for (Asean)," said Mr Carl Baker, director of programmes at the Pacific Forum of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Hawaii.
"It hasn't been very effective because it operates on a basis of consensus, and there is no consensus and there never will be a consensus on the territorial issues."
Cambodia has been rapidly pulled into China's economic orbit in recent years and rarely speaks on the maritime dispute, in which it is not one of the six claimants.
Its tenure as chair of Asean this year adds to doubts that the group will be able to formalise a 2002 declaration of conduct and cooperation with China over the South China Sea.
"It's taken them nine years to agree on a set of implementation guidelines for the 2002 agreement," said Dr Ian Storey, a senior fellow at Singapore's Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.
"What are the chances of them coming up with a formal and binding agreement in four months?"
A series of naval flashpoints over the past year - as China, the Philippines and Vietnam push ahead with plans to develop oil and gas fields - highlight the inadequacy of that agreement and the shortcomings of the Asean approach, critics say.
With Myanmar and Laos due to chair Asean in 2014 and 2015 following Brunei's turn next year, regional efforts to resolve the dispute could be heading into the deep freeze for years.
Dr Milton Osborne, a Cambodia expert and visiting fellow at the Lowy Institute in Australia, said suggestions that China would exert pressure over the South China Sea issue were speculation, but that Cambodia would want to avoid any acrimony on its watch.
"Cambodia is in a privileged position in its dealings with China, and I don't think it is going to abandon that position," he said.
4 comments:
If sum one to desir slave veitnam and the rest it's up to your!I respect completly.But your not add me in to i want just to slave a country and to aid khms no ever other nastion!!
of course not, we know better, plus these four countries of cambodia, thailand, laos and myanmar do not share the south china sea, so, in a sense, we have no interest when all these countries that wanted to steal the spratley islands and the parcel islands from china, that is unacceptable. we will not support it, you know!
for cambodia, koh tral is always a khmer island, you know!
i think cambodia rather see china own these islands than say viet/youn or some other puny, little countries out there. china is a major power and should be look at as partner for world peace, development, prosperity, etc, you know. it is normal to have competition in a market economy, really! if you look at the world map, china should is the owners of these islands, you know. vietnam, etc was only a province of china, i think!
Salute my dearly all khms!!I want just thanks you so much for these inform!!I'm not da brains but i also to knew. and fullow what a happen in this world and interesting the stuff!!Ready,Since 29 year that i living in french,I'm so regret that i rest dumb!!What is that sure and safe for me.Because I'm stubborn pround to be khm.And does not betray my nation.I am primarily bunddhist and i belive in my own buddha,I trust in him.I'm desolate for your and never care or fear the powerfull of chiness..!!Done your belive the power of chiness can win the nature and buddha,For me only the human like a small seed.Indeed,If chiness can win my buddha i promis your i want to died with my content Sir or madame lor..!!Many thanks advance to all my blood khms for exsplaine.I wait to see chiness empire or khms in the futur!!Salute Borng Somlagh lor..lor..!!
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