Cambodia, China Talk Business

KHMER TIMES
VEN RATHAVONG

Prime Minister Hun Sen shakes hands with China’s Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng during a meeting at the Peace Palace yesterday. KT/ Ven Rathavong

China’s Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng, who has been on an official visit to Cambodia, will discuss roads, railways, airport construction, agriculture and other projects with senior government officials in the next few days.

After a meeting lasting more than one hour between Prime Minister Hun Sen and Mr. Gao at the Peace Palace yesterday, Eang Sophalleth, the assistant to Mr. Hun Sen, told the media that the visit of China’s commerce minister was aimed at increasing trade volumes between the two countries.

He added that Mr. Gao’s visit will encourage Chinese investors and Chinese firms to increase exports of Cambodian agricultural products, including rice, to China.

“H.E. Gao Hucheng reported to Samdech [Mr. Hun Sen] that he will meet relevant ministries in Cambodia to discuss roads, railways, airports and agriculture,” Mr. Sophalleth said, adding that this mutual cooperation would be started as soon as possible.

Mr. Sophalleth confirmed that Mr. Gao will help Cambodia in various ways by following up on requests made by Cambodia.

He did not give any detail of the discussions or the requests made by Cambodia, only saying that Mr. Hun Sen and Mr. Gao had discussed them in principle. The details will be discussed between the relevant ministries and Mr. Gao, he added.

“Tomorrow [Tuesday], there will be a discussion about this issue with Public Works and Transport Minister Sun Chanthol, who is head of the relevant ministry,” Mr. Sophalleth said.

Mr. Hun Sen welcomed Mr. Gao’s visit, saying Cambodia has to coordinate and cooperate with China’s “One Belt One Road” initiative and incorporate it with Cambodia’s platforms to connect the countries for further development and mutual economic benefits.

Today Mr. Gao will also meet with the ministers of commerce and economics.

During the meeting with Mr. Hun Sen, Mr. Gao was presented with a medal by the premier.

Mr. Gao’s visit comes a week after the 49th Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Vientiane, Laos, where Cambodia was accused of siding with China on the contentious issue of the South China Sea.

Cambodia has been criticized for backing China and accused of blocking references to a decision made against China by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague in the communique issued at the end of all major Asean meetings.

A communique was eventually issued at the end of the Asean meeting and contained no references to the court ruling in The Hague.

Cambodian officials, however, have denied blocking references to the ruling in the communique, and Mr. Gao’s visit to Cambodia will no doubt give critics more to talk about over China’s relations with Cambodia.

Trade between Asean members in 2015 stood at a staggering $545 billion, larger than Asean trade with any other country including China, and larger than Asean’s trade with the EU and US combined.

China has been a major contributor to helping rebuild Cambodia’s infrastructure, which was destroyed during years of war and unrest.