"Gaddafi's Khmer Alter Ego" weighs in on China debt debate

Gaddafi Khmer Alter Ego aka Hun Xen

Prime Minister Hun Sen speaks yesterday during a ground-breaking ceremony for the Cambodian-Chinese friendship bridge, which will span the Tonle Sap river in Phnom Penh. (Photo by: Pha Lina)

PM weighs in on China debt debate

Thursday, 03 November 2011
Vong Sokheng
The Phnom Penh Post

Sacrava's cartoon that infuriated Hun Xen?

Hun Sen also took yesterday’s media opportunity to blast comparisons made between him and deposed Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi – which have appeared as cartoons on the opposition-affiliated news blog KI-Media.

Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday added his two cents to the ongoing debate on what Cambodia’s debt to China actually is, declaring it stands at only US$2 billion.

At a ground-breaking ceremony marking the beginning of construction on Phnom Penh’s Cambodia-China Friendship Bridge, the premier rejected estimates he claimed unspecified opposition parties had made that the debt stood at $6 billion.

The premier’s $2 billion figure included a $500 million loan he recently secured during a 10-day visit to the burgeoning superpower.

Cambodia begs to borrow US$500 millions each year [-$1/2 billion in yearly debt for Khmer children to pay back to the Chinese ... courtesy of Hun Xen]

Hun Xen's meeting with Wen Jiabao (Photo: Xinhua)

កម្ពុជាសុំខ្ចីចិន៥០០លានដុល្លារក្នុងមួយឆ្នាំ ៗ

សុក្រ 21 តុលា 2011
ដោយ លាង ដឺលុច
Radio France Internationale

Synopsis: After leading the Cambodian delegation to the Nanning meeting in China and following his return back to Phnom Penh in the afternoon on 21 October, the Chinese leaders provided an aid of US$1.5 million for flood victims. At the same time, Cambodia also asked to borrow US$500 million (half a billion) from China for each year.

លោកនាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី ហ៊ុន សែន បានដឹកនាំប្រតិភូរដ្ឋាភិបាលត្រឡប់ពីទីក្រុងណាន់នីងប្រទេសចិន មកដល់ភ្នំពេញវិញហើយ នៅល្ងាចថ្ងៃសុក្រទី២១តុលានេះ។ ការជួបគ្នាជាមួយថ្នាក់ដឹកនាំចិន រដ្ឋាភិបាលកម្ពុជាបានទទួលជំនួយ១លាន៥សែនដុល្លារថែមទៀត ដើម្បីជួយសង្គ្រោះពលរដ្ឋខ្លួនដែលកំពុងរងគ្រោះដោយទឹកជំនន់។ ទន្ទឹមគ្នានេះ កម្ពុជាក៏បានស្នើសុំកម្ចី ចិន៥០០លានដុល្លារក្នុងមួយឆ្នាំៗ។

មិនខុសពីសព្វដងឡើយ។ ទស្សនកិច្ចនៅប្រទេសចិន ប្រតិភូកម្ពុជាតែងត្រឡប់មកវិញជាមួយជំនួយ។ នៅថ្ងៃនេះក្រោយពីបញ្ចប់ទស្សនកិច្ចនៅក្នុងទីក្រុងណាន់នីងជាទស្សនកិច្ច ដើម្បីបើកសម្ភោធពិពណ៌ចិនអាស៊ាន លោក ចម ប្រសិទ្ធ រដ្ឋមន្ត្រីពាណិជ្ជកម្មបានប្រាប់អ្នកសារព័ត៌មាននៅឯអាកាសយានដ្ឋានអន្តរជាតិភ្នំពេញថា លោកនាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រីចិន វេន ជាប៉ាវ បានប្រកាសផ្តល់ជំនួយមនុស្សធម៌១លាន៥សែនដុល្លារទៀត ដើម្បីជួយប្រជាជនកម្ពុជាអ្នករងគ្រោះដោយទឹកជំនន់។

China Forgives $4 Million in Khmer Rouge-era Debt

Kiss and beg? Hun Sen embracing and kissing Wu Bangguo (Photo: CEN)

Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh Thursday, 04 November 2010

China announced Thursday it would forgive Cambodia more than $4 million in debt owed by the government of the Khmer Rouge.

In an agreement signed between Prime Minister Hun Sen and China’s top legislator, Wu Bangguo, the two sides said Cambodia’s debt would be transferred into development projects, a government spokesman said.

The debt cancellations comes after the visit of US Secretary of Stat Hillary Clinton, who discussed the possibility of addressing more than $400 million owed by Cambodia to the US.

Thursday’s announcement signaled a second round by China, who in 2002 announced undisclosed debt cancellation estimated at the time to be between $60 million and $1 billion.

In 2005, the International Monetary Fund forgave $82 million in debt. Over the years, Russia, too, canceled $1.5 billion in Cambodian debt.

Hun Sen and other officials say they should not be held liable for the US loan, which was given to the beleaguered Lon Nol regime in the 1970s. That regime, which ousted then-prince Norodom Sihanouk in a coup, fell to the Khmer Rouge.

$280 mln of Chinese debt for you, your children, the children of your children to pay back

China pledges aid to Cambodia

October 27, 2008
ABC Radio Australia

China has pledged 280 million US dollars in loans for infrastructure development in Cambodia.

Cambodia's Foreign Minister Hor Namhong says China's Premier Wen Jiabao made the pledge in talks with his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen on the sidelines of the just-ended Asia-Europe Summit in Beijing.

Prime Minister Hun Sen has now returned to Cambodia.