Patterns and Impacts of Chinese Assistance in Cambodia

Abstract

At present, bilateral relations between Cambodia and China have been undergoing extensive political, economic, military, and cultural cooperation under what the two countries agreed to call the “comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation.” It is often argued that Cambodia is a strategically important partner for China given its location as heart of the Southeast Asian region. Because of this critical relationship, China has become the top foreign assistant and largest source of capital in Cambodia. The Chinese have become managers of state enterprises that construct hydropower plants, roads, and bridges—as well as private investors and managers in mining, agricultural land concessions, tourism land concessions, and garment manufacturing. At the same time, numbers of new Chinese immigrants have grown in the country. The economic interaction between the two countries, particularly the increasing bilateral trade, Chinese investment, and projects in Cambodia, is considered a factor increasing the number of new Chinese migrants. The position of the Chinese minority in the kingdom, which had been difficult in the 1970s and 1980s, has been seen to be taking a turn for the better. Currently, the Khmer-Chinese seem to have regained much of their previous cultural, economic, and political power and have become backers for new Chinese businesses.