China: a good big brother?
China: a good big brother?
I wouldn't say I'm neutral, but I wouldn't say my mind is forever made up. Certainly I'm not so blinded by negatives that I can't see some positives. For example, while no construction work, nor vaccine is perfect, with respect to both infrastructure and the Covid pandemic Cambodia has benefitted enormously from its patronage relationship with its much richer and stronger big brother.
Cambodia bashers might wrongly see the country itself as nearly being a failed state, but I do not. It has problems, sure, and no one would label it a "thriving democracy", but I still believe it has a lot going for it. (Besides, I love the place.) That said, going forward, it isn't hard to guess what one international relationship will be the key to its future.
So with interest, I saw an article in the Guardian with a promising start.(‘Like Game of Thrones’: how triple crisis on China’s borders will shape its global identity)
"For many years China watchers in the west have been looking for clues to how a rising power will exercise its influence on the world stage through its involvement in Africa or its relations with the US. But the way China approaches the three neighbouring countries may provide a clearer picture.
“Afghanistan, Myanmar, and North Korea are all tests for China as a rising superpower: of whether Beijing, at a time of American withdrawal, can fill the vacuum in a skilful way,” said Thant Myint-U, a well-known Burmese historian and former presidential adviser."
Unfortunately, the experts they quote will say little more than we already suspect, and the article lacks punch. Still, it does highlight that if we want to know how influences might unfold in Cambodia, looking to these 3 more troubled states probably isn't a waste of time.
Cambodia bashers might wrongly see the country itself as nearly being a failed state, but I do not. It has problems, sure, and no one would label it a "thriving democracy", but I still believe it has a lot going for it. (Besides, I love the place.) That said, going forward, it isn't hard to guess what one international relationship will be the key to its future.
So with interest, I saw an article in the Guardian with a promising start.(‘Like Game of Thrones’: how triple crisis on China’s borders will shape its global identity)
"For many years China watchers in the west have been looking for clues to how a rising power will exercise its influence on the world stage through its involvement in Africa or its relations with the US. But the way China approaches the three neighbouring countries may provide a clearer picture.
“Afghanistan, Myanmar, and North Korea are all tests for China as a rising superpower: of whether Beijing, at a time of American withdrawal, can fill the vacuum in a skilful way,” said Thant Myint-U, a well-known Burmese historian and former presidential adviser."
Unfortunately, the experts they quote will say little more than we already suspect, and the article lacks punch. Still, it does highlight that if we want to know how influences might unfold in Cambodia, looking to these 3 more troubled states probably isn't a waste of time.
China has always been a reliable partner to Cambodia. I believe the "big Brother" while having it's faults will be good for Cambodia. Western Countries like France, and the US in particular have left a record of disastorous legacy (devide, conquer and expolit) on record.
I don't doubt that "big brother" will have some exploitive motives aswell but it's prime objective seems to be Trade. So far China has used fine tuned influence and tactics in dealing with it's direct neighbors North Korea, Myanmar and Russia while going on a full defense mode with India and the countries in the south china sea with good reasons. If it wasn't for the Elefant n the Room pondering it's "future War with China" with it's british lap dog all of this would not have been necessary.
So yes, i certainly agree with the poster here and hope that Cambodia will be my comfortable home for the years to come.
I don't doubt that "big brother" will have some exploitive motives aswell but it's prime objective seems to be Trade. So far China has used fine tuned influence and tactics in dealing with it's direct neighbors North Korea, Myanmar and Russia while going on a full defense mode with India and the countries in the south china sea with good reasons. If it wasn't for the Elefant n the Room pondering it's "future War with China" with it's british lap dog all of this would not have been necessary.
So yes, i certainly agree with the poster here and hope that Cambodia will be my comfortable home for the years to come.
The US strategy to counter China in the Pacific could be a $1bn misstep
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/ ... bn-misstep
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/ ... bn-misstep
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"while going on a full defense mode with India and the countries in the south china sea with good reasons". What pray tell are the good reasons China is on full defense with regard to SEA countries surrounding the south china sea? The fact that they claim it ALL, so therefore it must be must be so? Half a dozen of them would beg to differ.
Cambodia is very important for China, with its deep sea port at Sihanoukville. Being a strong-hold port for China at the very end of the South China Sea. Such a port makes it farrrrrr easier for China to control the South China Sea.
And another aspect is the (nearly completed ???) road all the way from the land-locked part of China to the sea at Sihanoukville. This is often praised, though I have my doubts about the real usefulness of this, given the roads are still secondary and of bad quality, far away from China highway standards.
And, Cambodia is sufficiently poor to be able to control the countries government through its finances.
And another aspect is the (nearly completed ???) road all the way from the land-locked part of China to the sea at Sihanoukville. This is often praised, though I have my doubts about the real usefulness of this, given the roads are still secondary and of bad quality, far away from China highway standards.
And, Cambodia is sufficiently poor to be able to control the countries government through its finances.
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- Lucky Lucan
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What?
Romantic Cambodia is dead and gone. It's with McKinley in the grave.
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Funny, the increase in Chinese influence is a reason for me to reconsider Cambodia as place to live. We get some of the worst of their citizens here who act selfish and with impunity. There is some trade benefit but Cambodia will also become trapped in Chinese debt. Most projects rely completely on Chinese resources and staff. Not much benefit to the average Khmer.
I would not be surprised if the digital yuan pops up over here in the near future together with Cambodia's own internet filtering gateway. In effect creating little China where you are not allowed to think for yourself. See the Hong Kong dissidents to get a glimpse of what the result will be. The current Khmer Facebook police is childsplay....
I would not be surprised if the digital yuan pops up over here in the near future together with Cambodia's own internet filtering gateway. In effect creating little China where you are not allowed to think for yourself. See the Hong Kong dissidents to get a glimpse of what the result will be. The current Khmer Facebook police is childsplay....
- Orichá
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Have to disagree for you entirely... Are you wilfully blind, or just ignorant because there is no longer a free press in Cambodia to report the real situation down on the ground? The actual Chinese scene isn't unlike old style Japanese colonialism, back in the day... Exploit the local environment, employ slave labor for peanuts, etc, and build infrastructures to benefit themselves first... I don't think you understand how China games poor countries deliberately to get the upper hand, economically... Taking large chunks of land, creating several cases of debt-bondage via construction of road and port infrastructures, etc, etc... China is selfish, its people do not integrate well unless they spend a few generations in a new place. And of course, the Chinese men, who comprise the vast majority of mostly temporary migrants, are just as quick to "boink and dump", leaving the babes in the lurch same as the French, Americans, Aussies, Belgians, Germans, Brits...Expatissimo wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 11:39 pmChina has always been a reliable partner to Cambodia. I believe the "big Brother" while having it's faults will be good for Cambodia. Western Countries like France, and the US in particular have left a record of disastorous legacy (devide, conquer and expolit) on record.
Human beings are all the same... China is no better, perhaps even worse... But their domestic education system is very good, if ultimately inegalitarian and cruel... You must acknowledge that China is a reliable big brother -- but only on its own terms. The government of China has done little to control the large numbers of shady bad guys who have poured into Cambodia off and on these past few years... They might occasionally organize a bust, but still there are hundreds and thousands of other bad guys who roam freely here from China.
Of course, there are quite a number of legitimate business people. But the vast majority of Chinese business people are not generous or kind, or even remotely charitable in ways that most Westerners would understand, respect and expect... Wake up... Every man for himself is the actual moto of the modern Chinese prosperity, and as you can see, the Communist government back in the motherland does not like that trend, and is desperate to hammer down and reign in any signs of aberrant or original thinking to make people conform to the prescribed and morally acceptable uniformity of appearances...
Look at the clampdowns on rich movie stars, the pop singers, the big business tycoons, whom the Communist party fears can meltdown its monopoly on the mentality, politics and economy supported by its ideological nonsense... Which is just a mask upon privilege and hypocrisy: the communists at the top of the party are all rich capitalists earning billions in a multitude of business and real estate adventures with party girls all around the world... (The sons of the powerful communists are just like the snotty little publicly tax-funded hobo princes of Europe and the fast-fucking Lotharios of NYC finance & Hollywood's easy pool party blondies... All over the world they spread their elegant Knightsbridge and Blvd Haussmann legs for the Chens, Changs, Huangs and Jinping juniors... Of course, if you could have been Richard Burton, you too would have said "yes" to any deal rich enough to pay for the pricey hotel suites and your easy-pie champagne pussy!!! )
Perhaps you realize that although some Covid vaccines were donated by China, most were purchased...
Oh well, you are free to exercise your naivety, and be my guest, go on presuming Cambodia won't have to pay a very high price for Big Brother China's selfish and greedy ways...
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"Storytelling reveals meaning without committing the error of defining it."
...Hannah Arendt
...Hannah Arendt
Yeah, money rules, as Orichá explains in many words.
How is it possible, that only a Chinese is able to have a lion as a pet inside a major city ?
Is that normal ????
This does not only happen in Cambodia, though the poor African countries and even several EU countries now, get big China loans, with the clauses, if the money is not paid back, the ownership of the infrastructure/property goes to China.
We should not forget, China did create a pretty tight social system to control its citizens. The moment somebody acts outside the fences the Communist Party sets, his/her options for a decent life inside the country are pretty well gone. So, those people move abroad, the same way white nose people got expelled to Australia, long ago, though now voluntarily, with social pressure. So, we meet Chinas' finest outside China.
Perhaps Expatissimo (!gK57e2rm0.) is Chinese? Anyway, you are correct China has always been reliable.
I recall my 1st time exploring the virtually abandoned hulking concrete buildings halfway up the mountain near Kompong Chhanang airport. They were built to say clearly, "We support you. We are with you. You couldn't do a place like this without us.
(I'm curious about when the last Chnese planes flew out of there in 1979. How many advisors flew out then? What else was in the planes? Just sacks of excess rice? I heard the Vietnamese didn't get near Kravan, Pursat, till May, but I'd expect K. Chhnang Chinese advisors/observers/brothers to bail right quick as soon as PP fell? Anyone have more info?)
So, when China was trying to be more egalitarian, it didn't work out so great for at least 1/3 of Cambodians. Just saying, not blaming China, it was complex times.
Now, another great big Chinese airport, or 5, are being built. And why not. Most big brothers, perhaps, tend to arrogance, it isn't a Chinese problem, it comes with the patronage system.
I have a real affinity for Hong Kong Chinese and their city. Why does Beijing feel so very different?
I recall my 1st time exploring the virtually abandoned hulking concrete buildings halfway up the mountain near Kompong Chhanang airport. They were built to say clearly, "We support you. We are with you. You couldn't do a place like this without us.
(I'm curious about when the last Chnese planes flew out of there in 1979. How many advisors flew out then? What else was in the planes? Just sacks of excess rice? I heard the Vietnamese didn't get near Kravan, Pursat, till May, but I'd expect K. Chhnang Chinese advisors/observers/brothers to bail right quick as soon as PP fell? Anyone have more info?)
So, when China was trying to be more egalitarian, it didn't work out so great for at least 1/3 of Cambodians. Just saying, not blaming China, it was complex times.
Now, another great big Chinese airport, or 5, are being built. And why not. Most big brothers, perhaps, tend to arrogance, it isn't a Chinese problem, it comes with the patronage system.
I have a real affinity for Hong Kong Chinese and their city. Why does Beijing feel so very different?
While i agree that China did not send their best (rather the rock bottom) of their society to Cambodia they're getting things done. Most of the last century saw Whities sending their worst to Cambodia to exploit,abuse and even bomb the hell out of the country they weren't even in an official war puts the picture back into perspective. I still believe that China is the better bet than the carrot and stick politics by western nations. Therefore this more than 35 years old message still sounds right:
Around 100 Chinese Awaiting Extradition After August Condo Raid
A regular occurence now:
hnom Penh: The General Administration of Immigration of Cambodia held a meeting with the Ministry of Public Security of China to expedite the exit procedures for 100 Chinese citizens detained in Cambodia for drug trafficking, to ensure that these Chinese nationals are repatriated smoothly and as soon as possible.
On September 7, the representative of the Ministry of Public Security and the spokesperson of the State Immigration Bureau held a video conference on the above issues.
Mr. Wu Jianmin thanked the General Administration of Immigration of Cambodia for its efforts in preventing and controlling Chinese citizens’ crimes and arresting criminal suspects.
The spokesman for the Cambodian General Administration of Immigration, told local media on September 8 that the above-mentioned 100 Chinese suspects had been stranded in Cambodia for more than a month, and he called on the Chinese government to help extradite and repatriate them.
He pointed out that on August 21, law enforcement officers of the anti-drug agency raided a condo on Street 508, Sangkat Doeum Thkov, Khan Chamkarmon, Phnom Penh.
He revealed that after the Chinese nationals were arrested, they were temporarily detained and are awaiting extradition to return to the country, but because they were unable to pay the expensive airfare of nearly US$7,000 per person, the Cambodian side was unable to repatriate them.
The Director of the Judicial Procedure and Investigation Bureau, pointed out that Cambodia and China will strengthen cooperation in accordance with the principles of the two countries to further crack down on various transnational criminal activities.
unquote
source:https://cne.wtf/2021/09/09/around-100-c ... ondo-raid/
So when did any western country got it's own scumbags back in such quantity ? I witnessed the same trash for decades while in Thailand. Brits and Americans always topped the list.
On another issue: China curbs neo-capitalism
It simply doesn't allow the Jeff Bezos/Amazon types to call the shots. Or Zuckerberg, Gates etc.they are now calling the shots in US Politics. Too big to defuse the bomb ?
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/unl ... 021-09-09/
A regular occurence now:
hnom Penh: The General Administration of Immigration of Cambodia held a meeting with the Ministry of Public Security of China to expedite the exit procedures for 100 Chinese citizens detained in Cambodia for drug trafficking, to ensure that these Chinese nationals are repatriated smoothly and as soon as possible.
On September 7, the representative of the Ministry of Public Security and the spokesperson of the State Immigration Bureau held a video conference on the above issues.
Mr. Wu Jianmin thanked the General Administration of Immigration of Cambodia for its efforts in preventing and controlling Chinese citizens’ crimes and arresting criminal suspects.
The spokesman for the Cambodian General Administration of Immigration, told local media on September 8 that the above-mentioned 100 Chinese suspects had been stranded in Cambodia for more than a month, and he called on the Chinese government to help extradite and repatriate them.
He pointed out that on August 21, law enforcement officers of the anti-drug agency raided a condo on Street 508, Sangkat Doeum Thkov, Khan Chamkarmon, Phnom Penh.
He revealed that after the Chinese nationals were arrested, they were temporarily detained and are awaiting extradition to return to the country, but because they were unable to pay the expensive airfare of nearly US$7,000 per person, the Cambodian side was unable to repatriate them.
The Director of the Judicial Procedure and Investigation Bureau, pointed out that Cambodia and China will strengthen cooperation in accordance with the principles of the two countries to further crack down on various transnational criminal activities.
unquote
source:https://cne.wtf/2021/09/09/around-100-c ... ondo-raid/
So when did any western country got it's own scumbags back in such quantity ? I witnessed the same trash for decades while in Thailand. Brits and Americans always topped the list.
On another issue: China curbs neo-capitalism
It simply doesn't allow the Jeff Bezos/Amazon types to call the shots. Or Zuckerberg, Gates etc.they are now calling the shots in US Politics. Too big to defuse the bomb ?
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/unl ... 021-09-09/
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