China, Cambodia seek to strengthen military ties

BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- China and Cambodia pledged to strengthen military ties when senior military officials from the two countries met here Tuesday.

Cambodia is China' s good neighbor, friend and partner, China' s Defense Minister Liang Guanglie told Pol Saroeun, commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces.

Liang said recent years have witnessed high-level contacts, a deepening of economic and trade cooperation, productive exchanges in science and technology, and sound growth in military relations between China and Cambodia.

Both countries have also supported each other on major issues concerning their respective core interests, Liang added.

China hopes to make joint efforts with Cambodia to consolidate their traditional friendship, promote reciprocal cooperation, and constantly enrich their comprehensive cooperative partnership, Liang said.

Chen Bingde, chief of the General Staff of the People' s Liberation Army (PLA) of China, also had talks with Pol Saroeun Tuesday.

Chen said China-Cambodia military relations have smoothly developed with pragmatic and meaningful cooperation in personnel training and the building of military schools and hospitals.

China is ready to work with Cambodia to further boost their military relations, Chen said.

Pol Saroeun said the Cambodian government attaches great importance to its relationship with China and will continue to adhere to the one-China policy.

The Cambodian armed forces would like to work with China to enhance cooperation in various fields, he added.

Cambodia's parliament approves consular treaty with China

2010-05-07

PHNOM PENH (Xinhua)- Cambodia's National Assembly approved Friday a consular treaty between Kingdom of Cambodia and China to boost cooperation between the two nations.

The approval of the treaty was made unanimously by all 89 out of 123 parliamentarians who were present at the session.

The Cambodian government signed the treaty with China on February 25, 2010 in Phnom Penh.

The treaty was based on the norm of the 1963 Vienna Convention to which Cambodia is a party since 2005.

Hor Namhong, deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs told the parliamentarians that the treaty was significant to promote further cooperation between Cambodia and China.

The treaty allows consular officials to make direct contacts with their own citizens who run businesses or work in the country where consular office is located.

It also allows consular officials to work as facilitators or mediators for the citizens or the people of the country where the office is located; as well the officials will help process with visa paperwork and applications for citizenship.

Cambodia and China has had long-term relations, and this treaty will help boost more cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, tourism, culture, science and education among others.

At present, Cambodia has established six Consulate Generals in China, including China's Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Kunming, Chongqing and Nanning, while China has not yet set up the consulate in Cambodia.

New legislation to facilitate trade with Vietnam, China

Vehicle dealers at Great Wall, based on Monireth Boulevard in Phnom Penh, say they hope that the new consular offices in China increase trade and help secure better tax arrangements. (Photo by: Heng Chivoan)

Friday, 07 May 2010
Kim Yuthana and May Kunmakara
The Phnom Penh Post

Six more Cambodian consular offices in China could spark new investment

TWO draft laws aimed at facilitating trade between Cambodia, China and Vietnam are to be passed by the National Assembly today, officials say.

Cheam Yeap, Cambodian People’s Party member of parliament and chairman of the National Assembly’s fifth committee, said Thursday that a consular treaty with China and a law on waterway transportation with Vietnam are due to be approved this morning.

The China deal will see six Cambodian consular offices opened in major cities across the People’s Republic, helping potential investors learn more about the Kingdom.

The lawmaker told the Post that approval of the draft law is vitally important for the two countries to boost bilateral trade.

“The general consulates, which will represent the Cambodian Embassy in Beijing and Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, would communicate information with Chinese investors who are interested in coming to Cambodia,” said Cheam Yeap.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Koy Kuong added that the new offices “will bring a lot of benefit” to Cambodia’s economy.

Figures released by the International Monetary Fund late last year, using data from the National Bank of Cambodia, show that Cambodia is strengthening its economic ties with China.

Merchandise imports from China have risen every year for the previous nine years, rising from just US$86.9 million in 2001 to $1.2 billion in 2008.

Chinese investors – who have a large presence in Cambodia – praised the move Thursday.

Chairman and CEO of Phnom Penh’s Worldwide Garage, Peang Mann, who imports cars made by the Great Wall firm, said he will appreciate the establishment of new consular offices and hopes it will help facilitate greater dialogue on import tax.

“It will be good for us if we have very good cooperation [with China] in terms of import and exports, especially if the new establishment can urge many Chinese banks to allow us to get loans for making more exports from China,” he said.

He added that if the establishments are successful in boosting favourable business, the firm will increase car imports from 200 to 300 this year.

Ministry of Commerce Undersecretary of State Em Sophoan said Thursday that he supports the signing of the laws, and that they will boost trade relations between the three countries.

“It is good for us that we can carry out trade activities smoothly going forward, especially as it will help to distribute development in our country,” he said.

A representative from the Chinese embassy in Phnom Penh did not reply to an emailed request for comment Thursday.

The deal with Vietnam will pass into law a waterway-transportation agreement that covers customs, transportation and commercial dealings in Cambodia.

“It will help facilitate the transportation of goods such as agricultural products, general goods and oil to and from the two countries along the Mekong River and by sea,” Cheam Yeap said.

In the first two months of this year, trade with Vietnam rose by 54.8 percent to $262.7 million, compared to $169.7 million in the same period of 2009, according Vietnamese Embassy data released in March.

China's top political advisor meets former Cambodian King

BEIJING, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Jia Qinglin met here Monday with former Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk, who was here to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games.

Jia said the China-Cambodia friendship became a treasure shared by the two peoples over the past 50 years, and Norodom Sihanouk was an old and good friend known by all the Chinese people. China and Cambodia were indeed good neighbors, good friends, good brothers and good partners, as the two sides enjoy mutual trust in political field, have mutually beneficial cooperation in economic field, and support each other in international affairs.

The Chinese side is willing to join hands with Cambodia to enrich and expand the bilateral relations so as to better benefit the two peoples.

Sihanouk said the Cambodian royal family, government and people would adhere to the friendly relations with China and make further efforts to consolidate and develop the traditional friendship.

China and Cambodia have maintained mutual friendship and cooperation since the two countries established diplomatic relations on July 19, 1958.

China, Cambodia hold exhibition on economic, trade cooperation

PHNOM PENH, June 27 (Xinhua) -- China and Cambodia jointly launched here Friday an exhibition on the achievements of economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

The exhibition, Exhibition of Economic and Trade Cooperation Achievements in Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of China-Cambodia Diplomatic Ties, which will last for three days.

Co-organized by the Chinese embassy in Cambodia, the Cambodian Ministry of Commerce and the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC), this exhibition will show the economic and trade cooperation achievements between China and Cambodia at both governmental and non-governmental levels, Cambodian Commerce Minister Cham Prasidh said at the opening ceremony of the exhibition.

The Chinese government and people have provided a lot of aids and preferential loans to Cambodia for its economic and social developments, especially for its infrastructure construction, said Hor Nam Hong, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister.

China has provided Cambodia with 118 aid projects in the past 15 years, including the office buildings of Cambodian Senate, the National Assembly and the Royal Government and the No. 7 National Road, said Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Zhang Jinfeng.

The trade volume between China and Cambodia increased sharply from 12.95 million U.S. dollars in 1992 to 933 million U.S. dollars in 2007, according to the preface of the exhibition.

So far, China has invested 1.76 billion U.S. dollars to Cambodia, becoming the second largest source of Cambodia's Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), it said.

China and Cambodia established the diplomatic relationship on July 19, 1958.

Chinese premier visits former Cambodian King

BEIJING, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited former Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk on Sunday, during the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday.

Wen extended the new year greetings to Sihanouk, and praised Sihanouk's outstanding contribution to promoting China-Cambodia friendship.

He thanked Sihanouk for his donations to China for disasters relief in snow stricken areas. Wen said this indicated the profound friendship to the Chinese people.

The premier expressed his confidence that the Chinese people could win the fight against the snow disasters.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations and is a year of China-Cambodia Friendship. China would work with Cambodia to carry forward traditional friendship and increase bilateral cooperation to benefit the two peoples, Wen noted.

Sihanouk expressed appreciation for China's achievements, and thanked China for offering support to Cambodia's development. He hoped that the Cambodia-China friendship would achieve constant progress.

President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen had visited the snow stricken areas to instruct the disasters relief work, and people there had shown the utmost fortitude to combat disasters. Sihanouk said he was deeply moved.

Sihanouk said he believed the Chinese people would definitely win the fight against the snow havoc.

Diplomatic Feathers Unruffled by Failed Developer's Flight

Long Chhin standing near Hun Sen, waiting to greet a Chinese delegation (Top Left). Long Chhin welcomed by King-Father (Top Right). Long Chhin resort buildings (Bottom Left). King-Father's handwriting shown on Long Chhin resort entry date and signatures of Chea Sim and King-Father on Long Chhin documents (Bottom Right) (Photo: Sralanh Khmer newspaper)

Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
15 August 2007

The decision to tear down an illegally erected series of villas on the outskirts of Phnom Penh is unlikely to hurt Cambodia's relationship with its large neighbor, China, officials said Wednesday, but it might strengthen the ruling party's support among the populace.

Long Chin, a Chinese citizen, built the villas on government land he did not own. He sold the villas and fled the country when the government learned what he had done. Authorities reclaimed the land and knocked down the buildings.

New-home buyers on the site have not been repaid their money, and Long Chin is gone, but the entire row is unlikely to ruffle any diplomatic feathers, officials agree.

"I think that it will not have an adverse effect on the relationship between Cambodia and China," said Son Chhay, a lawmaker for the Sam Rainsy Party. "China receives big benefits from the present government, compared to this minor loss of benefits from the Kap Srov lake development."

The demolition will more likely strengthen Prime Minister Hun Sen's political position ahead of the 2008 national elections, as it will showcase him as tough on land theft, observers said.

Ny Chariya, a human rights investigator for Adhoc, said the government's move will bolster its popular support.

He warned, though, that while Long Chin's company lost on a land grab, other companies continue to operate, especially on shallow lakes near the capital, which they are filling in for development.

This often hurts local residents, who rely on the seasonal lakes for fishing and farming.

"This is not a law enforcement. It is not an implementation of the rule of law. It becomes a threat to investment that [the government] does not like," Ny Chariya said.

Some observers warned that the demolition could worry future investors.

However, even one such demolition could give investors more confidence, said Kang Chandararoth, an economic researcher at the Cambodian Institute of Economic Research.

Other investors could become more fearful of breaking the law, he said, and use natural resources more responsibly.

"I think that legal investors will consider the law as supreme," he said. "They will not hesitate to invest in Cambodia. Those investors who do not want to come, or who are afraid, are those who will take advantage of our country. Therefore it is a good thing."