Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) yesterday completed a two-day state visit to Cambodia, capping a three-nation tour that included stops in Vietnam and Malaysia at a time when all three Southeast Asian countries are facing economic challenges from US President Donald Trump’s tariff proposals.
China has been strongly increasing its influence in the region over the past decade, largely by exercising its substantial economic leverage.
Cambodia faces among the highest “reciprocal” tariff rates proposed by the US. In addition to Trump’s universal 10 percent tariff, it faces the threat of a 49 percent tariff once the 90-day pause expires. For Vietnam, the tariff would be 46 percent and for Malaysia, 24 percent.
Photo: AKP via AP
“This milestone visit not only reaffirmed the unwavering commitment to the iron-clad friendship between Cambodia and China, but also further strengthened and deepened the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and win-win cooperation between the two countries,” Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
Xi and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet also presided over the signing of 37 documents covering investment, trade, education, finance, information, youth work, agriculture, health, water resources, tourism, women’s affairs and other subjects.
Beijing’s strong support allows Cambodia to largely disregard Western criticisms regarding its government’s human rights record and suppression of political opposition. Cambodia for its part generally supports China’s stance on its widely disputed territorial claims in the South China Sea and other controversial issues.
“The Cambodian side reiterated its resolute adherence to the one-China policy and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory,” the ministry said. “Cambodia also expressed opposition to any attempts of interference in the internal affairs of China.”
The statement also declared that “both sides agreed to further strengthen the cooperation mechanism between the armed forces of the two countries.”
Beijing helped fund an expansion of the Ream Naval Base on Cambodia’s southern coast, raising worries it could become a strategic outpost for the Chinese navy in the Gulf of Thailand.
Cambodia has repeatedly denied any agreement granting China special privileges or the establishment of a foreign military base.
GET TO SAFETY: Authorities were scrambling to evacuate nearly 700 people in Hualien County to prepare for overflow from a natural dam formed by a previous typhoon Typhoon Podul yesterday intensified and accelerated as it neared Taiwan, with the impact expected to be felt overnight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, while the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration announced that schools and government offices in most areas of southern and eastern Taiwan would be closed today. The affected regions are Tainan, Kaohsiung and Chiayi City, and Yunlin, Chiayi, Pingtung, Hualien and Taitung counties, as well as the outlying Penghu County. As of 10pm last night, the storm was about 370km east-southeast of Taitung County, moving west-northwest at 27kph, CWA data showed. With a radius of 120km, Podul is carrying maximum sustained
Tropical Storm Podul strengthened into a typhoon at 8pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with a sea warning to be issued late last night or early this morning. As of 8pm, the typhoon was 1,020km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving west at 23kph. The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA said. Based on the tropical storm’s trajectory, a land warning could be issued any time from midday today, it added. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said Podul is a fast-moving storm that is forecast to bring its heaviest rainfall and strongest
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday criticized the nuclear energy referendum scheduled for Saturday next week, saying that holding the plebiscite before the government can conduct safety evaluations is a denial of the public’s right to make informed decisions. Lai, who is also the chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), made the comments at the party’s Central Standing Committee meeting at its headquarters in Taipei. ‘NO’ “I will go to the ballot box on Saturday next week to cast a ‘no’ vote, as we all should do,” he said as he called on the public to reject the proposition to reactivate the decommissioned
TALKS CONTINUE: Although an agreement has not been reached with Washington, lowering the tariff from 32 percent to 20 percent is still progress, the vice premier said Taiwan would strive for a better US tariff rate in negotiations, with the goal being not just lowering the current 20-percent tariff rate, but also securing an exemption from tariff stacking, Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君) said yesterday. Cheng made the remarks at a news conference at the Executive Yuan explaining the new US tariffs and the government’s plans for supporting affected industries. US President Donald Trump on July 31 announced a new tariff rate of 20 percent on Taiwan’s exports to the US starting on Thursday last week, and the Office of Trade Negotiations on Friday confirmed that it
RSS