Saturday, 12 January 2008

Mr. Son Chhay: The Khmer Government’s Politics Preventing the Establishment of a Taiwanese Trade Office Are Stupid

12 January 2008.
The Mirror, Vol. 12, No. 542

“Mr. Son Chhay, a Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarian and the chairperson of the Fifth Commission of the National Assembly [in charge of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, Information and Media], reacted to the blocking attitude by Khmer government leaders, preventing the establishment of a Taiwanese trade office in Cambodia.

“Mr. Son Chhay said, ‘The Khmer government’s politics preventing the establishment of a Taiwanese trade office in Cambodia is stupid, and it is even more extremist than the People’s Republic of China, because they allow such a representative office in their country.’

“The parliamentarian, who is good in criticizing the government without fear of anybody, stated clearly, “Our Cambodia has also Taiwanese investors. And if we need investments in order to increase the number of jobs for Khmer citizens and to help the economy of the country, we should not be so tough toward Taiwan when it is only to set up such a trade office.’

“Mr. Son Chhay, the chairperson of the Fifth Commission of the National Assembly of Cambodia, continued, ‘Such an office does not cause any opposition by China. Therefore, to be afraid of China, and pleasing China too much, are political positions which bring a loss to our national interests.’

“It should be remembered that Cambodia adheres to the One-China Policy since previously. Even the leader of the biggest opposition party of Cambodia - Mr. Sam Rainsy - also used to speak about his supports for the One-China Policy.

“However, Mr. Sam Rainsy also used to provide good recommendations to the Hun Sen Government for the One-China Policy: that it must consider also the relations of Cambodian international trade with other countries worldwide, so that our national economy survives and our citizens have a good livelihood.

“Nonetheless, Hun Sen Government officials stated on 9 January that three has not been any official request for opening a Taiwanese trade representative office in Cambodia.

“In the meantime, Mr. Khieu Kanharith, Minister of Information and spokesperson of the Hun Sen Government, said, ‘In general, Taiwanese trade representative offices always play a role as unofficial embassies of Taiwan. But so far, we have not received any request and we have also not made any comment. Nevertheless, we think that, because trade offices play a role as unofficial Taiwanese offices, it would be difficult to consider such a request. To work well, Taiwanese businesspeople who come to invest in Cambodia should create associations or anything which can also facilitate the work of those who want to do business in Cambodia.

“Mr. Khieu Kanharith said so after national and international newspapers had published an announcement by an official of the Taiwan External Trade Development Council, stating their plan to reopen a trade office in Cambodia.

“Different newspapers quoted the speech of the official of the Taiwan External Trade Development Council, which plans to open its branch offices in Cambodia and in some other countries in Asia, such as Burma and Pakistan etc.

“But a speech of Mr. Om Yentieng, a senior advisor to Prime Minister Hun Sen, was quoted by a local newspaper saying that the plan of Taiwan [in the original Khmer: ‘of the Island of Taiwan’] may not work.

“It should be stated that a Taiwanese trade representative office had once been created in Cambodia after 1993, but it was closed after the events of fighting between the forces loyal to the Cambodian People’s Party and the forces loyal to Prince Ranariddh, the former president of Funcinpec, in July 1997 in Phnom Penh .

“Later on, the Cambodian government had continued to prohibit very firmly and definitely to open a Taiwanese trade representative office in Cambodia, by just stating that Cambodia has to maintain a One-China policy.

“Even so, Mr. Son Chhay, the Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarian and chairperson of the Fifth Commission of the National Assembly, reminded Hun Sen Government officials, ‘The attitude of being afraid of China, and of pleasing China too much, is a political position contributing to the loss of our national interests.’

“Furthermore, Mr. Son Chhay stressed, ‘The Khmer government’s politics preventing the establishment of a Taiwanese trade office in Cambodia is stupid, and it is even more extremist than the People’s Republic of China, because they allow such a representative office in their country.’”

Khmer Machas Srok, Vol.2, #90, 11-12.1.2008

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