Cambodia will benefit greatly from a visit by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶), the Cambodian prime minister said yesterday.
Wen was to pledge more aid for the impoverished Southeast Asian country during his two-day visit, which was scheduled to begin yesterday.
Wen's trip was expected to raise China's already high profile in Cambodia, despite Beijing's strong backing of the Khmer Rouge regime that caused the deaths of some 1.7 million people in the late 1970s.
Wen and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen were to witness the signing of 11 bilateral agreements, including a low-interest loan, grant aid and the donation of 30 fire trucks by the Chinese government.
Wen also was scheduled to attend a groundbreaking ceremony for a Chinese-funded office complex for Hun Sen and his deputies before wrapping up his visit today.
"Cambodia will benefit greatly from this visit," Hun Sen told reporters yesterday.
Hun Sen has described the giant Asian power as Cambodia's "most trustworthy friend."
In return, Beijing has rewarded his government with millions of dollars in aid over the last decade, agreed to write off past debts and granted it tariff-free status for some 400 items.
Investments by Chinese companies were worth some US$240 million last year, more than from any other nation. Most Chinese investments were in the garment industry, Cambodia's main foreign exchange earner.
Observers say China's strong support offers Hun Sen's government assurance whenever it is criticized by Western nations for its political and human rights record.
"For Hun Sen, China is the perfect ally in comparison to the West," said Julio Jeldres, retired King Norodom Sihanouk's biographer.
Wen's Cambodia visit is the last leg of a four-nation tour that also took him to Australia, Fiji and New Zealand.
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