China Handed Nine Patrol Boats to Cambodia

Dear Readers,

While China's gifts of the nine patrol boats to Camboddia is generous and is a good thing, I hope that the super powers, particularly China and America, would not use Cambodia as a battle ground for their competing ideology. In recent months we have seen increasing numbers of visits by American warships to Cambodia's port. China's gifts are seen as a good gesture but also as one way to spread its sphere of influence in Cambodia in order to counter American influence. Whatever its intention for the generous gifts, China's past generosity during the Sihanouk and Khmer Rouge regimes are lessons to be learned. Cambodia had leaned dangerously towards the Communist bloc and eventually the Khmer Rouge regime, a product of China, unleashed its murderous policies which seen nearly 2 million Cambodians perished in the most brutal ways. I hope this time Cambodia would not slide into that path once again. Anyway, China, thanks for the nine patrol boats but is there any strings attached? I hope not.

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Chinese and Cambodian delegations stand on a Chinese naval patrol boat during a handover ceremony at a Cambodian naval base at Ream in Sihanouk Ville province, southwest of Phnom Penh, November 7, 2007. China is giving Cambodia nine naval patrol boats to safeguard oil installations in the Gulf of Thailand, another sign of Beijing's deepening ties with the Southeast Asian nation, military officials said. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea (CAMBODIA)