Chinese foreign minister arrives in Cambodia, Beijing's closest Southeast Asian ally
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PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Chinese International Minister Wang Yi arrived in Cambodia on Sunday for a a few-working day formal go to to reaffirm ties with Beijing’s closest ally in Southeast Asia. His visit is the last halt on a three-nation regional swing that also took him to Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
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He is going to amid overseas concerns about two major Chinese-funded jobs in Cambodia — a prepared canal and a naval base — that critics allege could assist Beijing’s strategic military passions in Southeast Asia.
China is Cambodia’s most crucial ally and benefactor, with strong affect in its financial state. That is illustrated by numerous Chinese-funded jobs — especially infrastructure, which include airports and roadways, but also non-public jobs this kind of as inns, casinos and property growth. Additional than 40% of Cambodia’s $10 billion in overseas credit card debt is owed to China.
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Wang is scheduled to have different meetings with Key Minister Hun Manet and his father, Hun Sen, now serving as president of the Senate right after serving for 38 several years as Cambodia’s head of government till he stepped down past 12 months to be succeeded by his son. Wang was also granted a royal viewers with King Norodom Sihamoni.
Hun Manet has demonstrated no indicator of deviating from his father’s professional-Beijing overseas plan. In August 2023, Wang frequented Cambodia just times just after Hun Sen declared he would step down as primary minister in favor of his eldest son.
Beijing’s support makes it possible for Cambodia to disregard Western fears about its bad document on human and political rights, and in flip Cambodia usually supports Beijing’s positions on international coverage problems this kind of as its territorial promises in the South China Sea.
Cambodia has recently reiterated its determination to go in advance with the Chinese-financed 180-kilometer (112-mile) prolonged, $1.7 billion Funan Techo Canal undertaking across four provinces in the southern section of the region to join the cash, Phnom Penh, to the Gulf of Thailand.
The prepare has elevated concern from neighboring Vietnam, the place some students speculated the 100-meter (330-foot) -large and 5.4 meter (18-foot) -deep canal could make it less complicated for China to ship armed service forces southward, close to Vietnam’s southern coastline. There are usually frosty relations among Vietnam and its large northern neighbor China, which aggressively promises maritime territory claimed by Hanoi and in 1979 staged a brief invasion.
The United States has also weighed in on the challenge, interesting for transparency on the aspect of Cambodia’s govt. Wesley Holzer, a U.S. Embassy spokesperson in Phnom Penh, was quoted as telling the Voice of The united states that “the Cambodian persons, together with folks in neighboring international locations and the broader location, would profit from transparency on any major undertaking with potential implications for regional h2o administration, agricultural sustainability, and protection,”
Hun Manet, talking Thursday to authorities officers and villagers in southern Takeo province, dismissed the Vietnamese issue and vowed to press ahead with the project, which he reported would deliver a enormous advantage to Cambodia.
China also is involved with another challenge triggering international worry, its Ream Naval Base on the Gulf of Thailand , which the United States and some intercontinental stability analysts say is destined to provide as a strategic outpost for Beijing’s navy.
The Ream base originally captivated interest in 2019 when The Wall Road Journal claimed that an early draft of an agreement seen by U.S. officers would enable China 30 years’ use of the base, the place it would be able to post military services staff, keep weapons and berth warships.
Hun Sen in reaction regularly denied there was such an settlement, pointing out that Cambodia’s structure does not allow international army bases to be founded on its soil and declaring that checking out ships from all nations are welcome.
The foundation is situated on the Gulf of Thailand, adjacent to the South China Sea, where by China has aggressively asserted its claim to just about the total strategic waterway. The U.S. has refused to realize China’s sweeping claims and routinely conducts military services maneuvers there to enhance its status as intercontinental waters.
On Dec. 7, two Chinese naval vessels became the very first ships to dock at a new pier at the base, coinciding with an official take a look at to Cambodia by China’s prime defense official.
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PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Chinese International Minister Wang Yi arrived in Cambodia on Sunday for a a few-working day formal go to to reaffirm ties with Beijing’s closest ally in Southeast Asia. His visit is the last halt on a three-nation regional swing that also took him to Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
He is going to amid overseas concerns about two major Chinese-funded jobs in Cambodia — a prepared canal and a naval base — that critics allege could assist Beijing’s strategic military passions in Southeast Asia.
China is Cambodia’s most crucial ally and benefactor, with strong affect in its financial state. That is illustrated by numerous Chinese-funded jobs — especially infrastructure, which include airports and roadways, but also non-public jobs this kind of as inns, casinos and property growth. Additional than 40% of Cambodia’s $10 billion in overseas credit card debt is owed to China.
Wang is scheduled to have different meetings with Key Minister Hun Manet and his father, Hun Sen, now serving as president of the Senate right after serving for 38 several years as Cambodia’s head of government till he stepped down past 12 months to be succeeded by his son. Wang was also granted a royal viewers with King Norodom Sihamoni.
Hun Manet has demonstrated no indicator of deviating from his father’s professional-Beijing overseas plan. In August 2023, Wang frequented Cambodia just times just after Hun Sen declared he would step down as primary minister in favor of his eldest son.
Beijing’s support makes it possible for Cambodia to disregard Western fears about its bad document on human and political rights, and in flip Cambodia usually supports Beijing’s positions on international coverage problems this kind of as its territorial promises in the South China Sea.
Cambodia has recently reiterated its determination to go in advance with the Chinese-financed 180-kilometer (112-mile) prolonged, $1.7 billion Funan Techo Canal undertaking across four provinces in the southern section of the region to join the cash, Phnom Penh, to the Gulf of Thailand.
The prepare has elevated concern from neighboring Vietnam, the place some students speculated the 100-meter (330-foot) -large and 5.4 meter (18-foot) -deep canal could make it less complicated for China to ship armed service forces southward, close to Vietnam’s southern coastline. There are usually frosty relations among Vietnam and its large northern neighbor China, which aggressively promises maritime territory claimed by Hanoi and in 1979 staged a brief invasion.
The United States has also weighed in on the challenge, interesting for transparency on the aspect of Cambodia’s govt. Wesley Holzer, a U.S. Embassy spokesperson in Phnom Penh, was quoted as telling the Voice of The united states that “the Cambodian persons, together with folks in neighboring international locations and the broader location, would profit from transparency on any major undertaking with potential implications for regional h2o administration, agricultural sustainability, and protection,”
Hun Manet, talking Thursday to authorities officers and villagers in southern Takeo province, dismissed the Vietnamese issue and vowed to press ahead with the project, which he reported would deliver a enormous advantage to Cambodia.
China also is involved with another challenge triggering international worry, its Ream Naval Base on the Gulf of Thailand , which the United States and some intercontinental stability analysts say is destined to provide as a strategic outpost for Beijing’s navy.
The Ream base originally captivated interest in 2019 when The Wall Road Journal claimed that an early draft of an agreement seen by U.S. officers would enable China 30 years’ use of the base, the place it would be able to post military services staff, keep weapons and berth warships.
Hun Sen in reaction regularly denied there was such an settlement, pointing out that Cambodia’s structure does not allow international army bases to be founded on its soil and declaring that checking out ships from all nations are welcome.
The foundation is situated on the Gulf of Thailand, adjacent to the South China Sea, where by China has aggressively asserted its claim to just about the total strategic waterway. The U.S. has refused to realize China’s sweeping claims and routinely conducts military services maneuvers there to enhance its status as intercontinental waters.
On Dec. 7, two Chinese naval vessels became the very first ships to dock at a new pier at the base, coinciding with an official take a look at to Cambodia by China’s prime defense official.
