Robert Garcia is now the first sitting mayor to visit Cambodia
by Valerie Osier
Even though Long Beach has long been home to the world’s largest concentration of Cambodians outside of Cambodia, Mayor Robert Garcia only recently became the city’s first sitting mayor to visit the country.


Garcia is visiting Phnom Penh and Vietnam over nine days as part of a trade delegation from the Port of Long Beach to Southeast Asia. The group is meeting with Port customers, organizations and trade officials in hopes of attracting and retaining more business.

“Long Beach and Cambodia are united by our culture and our people,” Garcia said. “We must work to strengthen that bond by increasing trade and tourism, and creating jobs for Long Beach.”

Garcia will also renew the sister city relationship between Long Beach and Cambodia’s capital city of Phnom Penh that was established in 1993. The relationship means that both sides agree to promote international goodwill, exchange ideas and improve trade relations between the two cities and their respective countries, according to the Port.

“The continued economic growth of Cambodia and Vietnam creates a strong potential for increasing trade through the Port of Long Beach,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Tracy Egoscue. “We are looking forward to building new alliances and strengthening existing relationships with our partners in Southeast Asia.”
https://lbpost.com/news/robert-garcia-i ... -cambodia/

4 hours ago
Garcia trip to Cambodia stirs dismay: ‘Is the mayor choosing money over democracy and human rights?’
by Stephanie Rivera in News

Mayor Robert Garcia made history when he became the city’s first sitting mayor to visit Cambodia last month.

His visit to the country was part of a trade delegation to Southeast Asia organized and funded by the Port of Long Beach. However, what was considered to be a momentous occasion meant to unite the two cultures through trade and tourism also raised concerns amid some members of the city’s Cambodian community.

“When I see the mayor [taking a trip to Cambodia] it hurts and I feel hopeless,” said an emotional woman in Khmer during a small gathering Monday night at a church in Cambodia Town.

Through a translator, the woman spoke about the frustration in seeing her city representative meet with a government still tied to the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia in the 1970s that resulted in many citizens fleeing to refugee camps and eventually settling in cities worldwide.

Long Beach is home to the largest concentration of Cambodians in the diaspora with an estimated 50,000 residents.

A longtime resident asked bluntly: “Is the mayor choosing money over democracy and human rights?”
https://lbpost.com/news/garcia-trip-to- ... an-rights/

CEOCambodiaNews wrote: ↑Sat Feb 16, 2019 7:53 am 4 hours ago
Garcia trip to Cambodia stirs dismay: ‘Is the mayor choosing money over democracy and human rights?’
by Stephanie Rivera in News

Mayor Robert Garcia made history when he became the city’s first sitting mayor to visit Cambodia last month.

His visit to the country was part of a trade delegation to Southeast Asia organized and funded by the Port of Long Beach. However, what was considered to be a momentous occasion meant to unite the two cultures through trade and tourism also raised concerns amid some members of the city’s Cambodian community.

“When I see the mayor [taking a trip to Cambodia] it hurts and I feel hopeless,” said an emotional woman in Khmer during a small gathering Monday night at a church in Cambodia Town.

Through a translator, the woman spoke about the frustration in seeing her city representative meet with a government still tied to the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia in the 1970s that resulted in many citizens fleeing to refugee camps and eventually settling in cities worldwide.

Long Beach is home to the largest concentration of Cambodians in the diaspora with an estimated 50,000 residents.

A longtime resident asked bluntly: “Is the mayor choosing money over democracy and human rights?”
https://lbpost.com/news/garcia-trip-to- ... an-rights/

So is he here selling casino plots on Long Beach? probably cheaper than Snooky