Cambodian PM says there’s no threat of Chinese domination
Posted March 1, 2019 3:01 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has defended his country’s close ties with China, declaring that a surge of Chinese visitors and investment does not put Cambodia at risk of becoming a kind of Chinese colony.
Speaking Friday at a groundbreaking ceremony for a Chinese-funded hospital, Hun Sen said Chinese investors only want to do business and China’s foreign policy seeks friendship, not colonization.
Chinese investors in Cambodia have attracted criticism in recent years as their influence in the country grows. Cambodia has become increasingly reliant on Chinese aid and investment, and at the same time has become a close political ally of Beijing, supporting its positions in regional and international affairs.
China’s support has made Hun Sen less dependent on aid from Western nations, which criticize his authoritarian rule.
The Associated Press
