The Myanmar Times

Cambodia and China 60 years on.

https://www.mmtimes.com/news/cambodia-a ... years.html

KHMER TIMES 05 JAN 2018

CAMBODIA and China commemorate their 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year amid rising domestic political uncertainties in Cambodia and fast-changing geopolitics in the Asia-Pacific.

President Xi Jinping said last year that “both sides should take the commemoration of the 60th anniversary as an opportunity to promote bilateral relations for steady, forward-looking and better development”.

Prime Minister HE responded: “The Cambodian side is willing to, together with the Chinese side, consolidate traditional friendship, so as to promote bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership for greater development.”

Cambodia, the natural ally of China, views the evolving regional order as leading towards a Sino-centric order in which China will take a leadership role in regional affairs.

Cambodia’s foreign policy has been shaped by its worldview, which is the world is becoming a multipolar world in which China is one of the global powers.

In his New Year speech, President Xi reaffirmed China’s commitment to actively contribute to solving global issues, with the aim to become “a builder of world peace, contributor of global development and keeper of international order”.

“As a responsible major country, China has something to say,” Mr Xi said.

In Asia, China will be a dominant major power. In the eyes of the Cambodian ruling elites, China will significantly shape the global and regional order based on China’s evolving rules and values.

Cambodia regards China as the most important strategic and economic partner, while China regards Cambodia as the most reliable friend.

The special personal friendship cultivated by Prince Norodom Sihanouk and Premier Zhou Enlai in the late 1950s is the bedrock of the bilateral ties. The personal relationship between the leaders of the two countries has been nurtured from generation to generation.

Key areas of cooperation

China’s support is critical to realising Cambodia’s development vision of becoming a middle-income country by 2030 and high-income country by 2050. Infrastructure development and national and regional connectivity projects are the key areas of bilateral cooperation.

The increasing flow of Chinese investment capital and tourists has significantly contributed to socio-economic development and poverty reduction in Cambodia.

Historically, Cambodia approached extra-regional powers to counterbalance against the existential threats posed by the two big immediate neighbours – Thailand and Vietnam.

Since becoming an ASEAN member in 1999, Cambodia has become more confident in regional integration and community-building. Cambodia can rely on the non-interference principle and consensus-based decision-making of ASEAN to protect its sovereignty.

Although threat perception has gradually diminished, Cambodia maintains the view that her immediate neighbours are the main security and sovereignty threats. Territorial disputes between Cambodia and its neighbours remain key security concerns.

The strategic and political trust that Cambodia has earned from China serves as a foundation of forging closer ties between the two countries. China is now the core supporter of Cambodia amid looming pressures, including soft sanctions from the US and its allies.

The Cambodian regime regards China as the main source of its legitimacy. China’s development aid and investments have significantly contributed to the output and performance of the government.

Sok Chenda, secretary-general of the Council for the Development of Cambodia, said in November last year that “Chinese investors have actively contributed to boosting socio-economic development in Cambodia”.

“I’m confident that with the active participation of Chinese investors, all cooperation between Cambodia and China under the Belt and Road Initiative will be successful,” he added.

Integrating the Mekong region

The Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC), initiated by China in 2015, is another key instrument in connecting and integrating the Mekong region.

In December last year, Cambodia received more than $7 million under the LMC Special Fund to implement 16 projects, including capacity-building and research projects.

Speaking at the launching of the National Secretariat of Cambodia for the LMC in October, Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn said the LMC “politically binds the destiny of six riparian countries that share geographically a sub-region located along the Mekong River”.

On the South China Sea issue, Cambodia shares a similar position with China that a bilateral mechanism is the most effective way to resolve differences and disputes, and an ASEAN-China dialogue mechanism is a tool to build mutual understanding and trust.

The Code of Conduct is not an instrument to resolve conflicts and disputes but to build confidence and promote preventive diplomacy.

Opportunities, however, do not come without costs and challenges. Cambodia’s international image and role has been adversely affected due to its position on the South China Sea, which is in line with that of China.

The structural challenge that Cambodia may need to overcome is power asymmetry. Economic overdependence on China poses certain constraints on Cambodia’s foreign policy.

Chinese economic presence may cause certain public discontent if the investment and infrastructure development projects do not truly meet the needs of the local people.

Some local communities have raised concerns about the quality of Chinese investments, particularly with regard to the issues of resettlement and compensation, environmental degradation and land-grabbing.

Chheang Vannarith is an associate fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute

How ‘new’ Chinese revived an ‘old’ ethnic dominance in Cambodia’s economy

Chinese ‘old’ and ‘new’ keep the economy of HE’s Cambodia humming
But investment by Beijing has also entrenched the patronage system and given rise to anti-Chinese sentiment
Topic | Cambodia
Michiel Verver
Published: 2:00pm, 18 Jan, 2020
Ever since the state visit of Cambodian Prime Minister HE to Beijing in 1996, ties between Cambodia [1]
and China – or, more accurately, between HE’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party and the Chinese Communist Party [2]
– have grown only stronger.

Political interdependencies have emerged alongside the influx of Chinese investments, businesses and economic migrants in Cambodia since the 1990s. The majority of Cambodia’s garment factories, which account for more than three quarters of total exports, are owned and managed by Chinese from mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. China is the biggest investor in Cambodia, adding nearly US$5.3 billion to the economy between 2013 and 2017. Officials hope that annual bilateral trade between the two countries will reach US$10 billion in 2023.

In all, with Chinese investors, traders, service entrepreneurs, factory managers, tourists, diplomats, teachers, journalists and subcontractors flocking to Cambodia, China’s influence over economic and political affairs in the small Southeast Asian country is undisputed.

In considering the ways in which China’s new-found assertiveness affects Cambodian society, the perspective of Cambodia’s domestic private sector is intriguing for two reasons.

First, the private sector reveals an internal division between the politically connected and the bereft. An exclusive group of tycoons has been co-opted by top officials of the People’s Party. They receive lucrative benefits in business – including import monopolies, public contracts and land concessions – in return for loyalty and financial contributions to individual party officials and the ruling party as a whole. Meanwhile, the lion’s share of the private sector comprises of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – mostly family-owned and operated – that cope without political support and instead try to steer clear of lower-level rent-seeking officials.

Second, most entrepreneurs in Phnom Penh, tycoons and SME owners alike, are children or grandchildren of Chinese migrants who came to Cambodia, especially during the French colonial period and upon Mao’s takeover of China.

Migration from China to Cambodia largely ceased after decolonisation in 1953, and resumed only towards the end of the 20th century.
Full article: https://www.scmp.com/print/week-asia/po ... as-economy

I call 2017, Year 00
The start of a new era in Cambodia, when they fully signed up with China.
I never wanted to live inside the Chinese empire. That wasn't the plan.
'Suck eggs and get used to it i guess. No turning back now, for cambodia or me.

I came here in 2017 and have been riding this chinese dragon from chinaville to Kampot and beyond.
I am going to sign up for 1 more year on a new lease in a few days.
I am curious about any visa changes in September when my extension is due.
I must admit I am keeping my escape kit handy...namely funds readily available.
Any long term visa alternatives?
I may just hit a few places on my list and head back to the Western Hemisphere.
I may even move back to Argentina.
At least I am fluent in the language and love the cuisine.
I guess part of this is due to me being pissed off at my Khmer gal....I may snap out of it ...
china is certainly going to solidify its choke hold on the region...
I guess if I met a rich chinese lady who wanted a cunning linguist to make her supper...I might stick around..

China’s Dominance and Money Slowly Devouring Cambodia
Cambodia has seen a huge influx of Chinese investment, workers and tourists in recent years. Many in Cambodia are increasingly worried about the negative impact it is having.
Published 2 hours ago
on January 19, 2020
By CTN News

Since 1996 Cambodia’s Prime Minister HE’s and the Chinese Communist Party have grown only stronger. Political interdependencies have emerged alongside the influx of Chinese investments, businesses and economic migrants.

The majority of Cambodia’s garment factories, which account for more than three quarters of total exports, are owned and managed by Chinese. China is the biggest investor in Cambodia, adding nearly US$5.3 billion to the economy between 2013 and 2017.

Officials hope that annual bilateral trade between the two countries will reach US$10 billion in 2023.

In all, with Chinese investors, traders, service entrepreneurs, factory managers, tourists, diplomats, teachers, journalists and subcontractors flocking to Cambodia. China’s influence over economic and political affairs in Cambodia is undisputed.

Cambodia has seen a huge influx of Chinese investment, workers and tourists in recent years. Many in Cambodia are increasingly worried about the negative impact it is having.
https://www.chiangraitimes.com/thailand ... -cambodia/

CEOCambodiaNews wrote: ↑Sun Jan 19, 2020 11:13 am China’s Dominance and Money Slowly Devouring Cambodia-dominance-and-money-slowly-devouring-cambodia/

God forbid anybody else gets a slice of the pie!

Seems there's more and more bad news about China's engagement with Cambodia. Is any good coming out of it?

Would like to see the Cambodians outsmart the Chinese, just like the Chinese outsmarted those that invested in China during the 80's, 90's, and early 2000's. There should be some good lessons to be learned, and shrewd examples to follow. China has set up quite the blueprint for outsmarting investors...