(1) Roads 31 and 33, More Than 106 Km, an Important Economic Corridor to Vietnam and the Kingdom of Thailand.
[…] we launch the construction site to improve the quality of roads 31 and 33, with a total length of more than 106 kilometers, which HE Sun Chanthol just mentioned in his report of the importance of the connectivity. This road is an important connector to the southwest coast. This road connects from Takeo to Kampot, Kep and even to Vietnam, which is an important corridor of economic relations, and a coastal corridor connecting Vietnam to the Kingdom of Thailand in the territory of the Kingdom of Cambodia […] less than a week ago, His Excellency Wang Wintien, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China and I have launched the construction site of Road 41, which connects Kampong Speu province to Kampot province […] once upgraded, people in Kampot benefit from these roads 31 and 33. Not just the people of Kampot, but all Cambodians have the benefit of using these roads. This is another new achievement that make our people better off in building their lives.
(2) China Builds Over 3,000 Km of Roads and Is Building Hundreds of Km More
I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for the understanding and support of the People’s Republic of China. As I mentioned, more than 3,000 kilometers have already been built and put into operation by our China friends, and hundreds more are under construction. Today is the 30th (of December 2022). In just over 10 days, we will have two more construction sites (to launch). The first is the construction of roads and bridges across the Mekong River at Kratie province, which will be on January 2, 2023, and then on January 9, 2023 will launch a road expansion, National Road 7, in the province of Kompon Cham […]
(3) In 2022, Cambodia-China trade volume will reach 14.5 billion US dollars, an increase of 19%
We have been able to carry out all this work thanks to the trust and expansion of the Sino-Cambodian solidarity relationship, which, as the Chinese Ambassador recently delivered, this year, the trade volume of the two countries reached 14,500 million US dollars, an increase of 19%. In the future, I believe that we will be able to export more goods into the Chinese market through the Cambodia-China Free Trade Agreement, which China has favored for the export of up to 97.53% Cambodian goods, the highest level of free trade agreements compared with other countries […]
(4) Strategic Partners in All Fields; Common Destiny of Steel-Friendship China and Cambodia
These achievements should remind us of the ties that have been built since the time of the previous generation, when Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk, Samdech Preah Borom Ratanakoth, who was our former King and Head of State at that time, led Cambodia, with the previous generation of Chinese leaders, who left a legacy for us in developing the relationship to become comprehensive strategic partners with the common destiny between China and Cambodia, and also steel friend who always provides us according to the needs of Cambodia. The respect we have for our China friends is that they respond to our need according to our wishes. It does not means that where we wanted to rebuild the National Road 33, National Road 31, but the creditors wanted us to build something else […]
We work out the plan annually. We ourselves determine the priority of the loans […] our credit needs from our China friends are around 500 million to 1 billion per year. We plan accordingly […] it is up to Cambodia to decide which one to do first and which one to do next. That is the special point of using Chinese loans. Take this road system, for instance, we need to widen National Road 3, where we previously used the loan from the Republic of Korea. But it was small. We applied the method of “with less money, we build longer road.” We need to raise funds from China to connect Phnom Penh with Kampot by expanding it and making it stronger. As for roads 33 and 31, we used to do it once with the loan of the Republic of Korea and the Asian Development Bank […]
(5) Chinese investment extends to southwest, northwest and central Cambodia
Through His Excellency Wang Wintien, allow me to express my gratitude to the people and government of the People’s Republic of China for their continued assistance in rehabilitating the Kingdom of Cambodia. HE Wang Vin Thien (may be informed that) investing in Kampot is the right investment decision […] China has expanded its investments not only to southwest, northwest and northeast of Cambodia, but also in central Cambodia, helping boost Cambodia’s development. Connections to Kratie, Ratanakkiri, Mondulkiri, Stung Treng and the Lao border were helped by the China friends. Without China friends, we would not have been able to get the budget. Connections to the southwest include the construction of an expressway from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville, National Roads 31 and 33. I hope that our China friends will continue to help us rebuild the National Road 3, which has been the most difficult one […] help from former sources were not able to make one part of it firm […]
(6) With roads, we build a prosperous economy, reduce poverty, people’s hardships/expenses
I hope that we will be able to rebuild firmly the part of National Road No. 3 from Kampot to Veal Rinh, which has been damaged […] I hope our China friends will see to it. This is the connection we still prioritize. Without the road, we will not be able to achieve a prosperous economy and alleviate the suffering of the people. Not to mention reducing poverty, talking about people’s hardships or reducing people’s spending, as I have mentioned in previous comparisons. Bad roads make our people spend a lot of money and a lot of time. When the road is good, we will spend less money and less time traveling. That is the benefit for the people that we must continue to strive for.
(8) Four (investment) priority vision will be useful for at least 30 years from now
The four (investment) priority vision announced in 1987 have so far lasted more than 30 years. It is still correct/useful. I think it will be correct/useful for no less than 30 years more […] I still remember that in 1987 I set out the four priorities for investment. These four (investment) priorities include water, roads, electricity, people. Now we just change the angle to “people, water and electricity,” which all are still a priority for investment. If we do not invest in infrastructure, both software and hardware, we can do nothing. In terms of people, I want to talk about software, human resource training is a priority, and hardware would concern water, roads and electricity […]
(9) The coup d’état of March 18, 1970, sparked a war and led to the Pol Pot regime
In particular, the division of the nation was due to the coup d’etat of March 18, 1970, overthrowing Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk. (Country) We were born into a war. That war led to the Pol Pot regime killing our people indiscriminately. War continued until 1998. Yesterday (29 December 2022) marked the 24th anniversary of the end of the Cambodian war, which brought peace and territorial unity for the first time in Cambodia’s hundreds of years of history. I still imagine that if there was no coup d’etat in 1970, and Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk continues to lead the country, no one would quite imagine how far our country could have progressed. (In those years), for almost two decades, this country saw the construction the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville via National Road 4 and our railway that passes through Kampot […]
(10) Not responsible for creating war, but for ending it
The railway was built in the 1960s. The cement plant here is also a testament to the cooperation between China and Cambodia from those periods and gave Cambodia the opportunity to have cement in our country then. Without the March 18, 1970 coup, it would not have brought about this war. When the war broke out in 1970, I was only 18 years old. I am not responsible for creating this war. I never thought that the burden (of loosening) the bonds that the previous generation, such as the Lon Nol Sereimatak Cheng Heng, bound were to be untied by (me and) the next generation. Whether you belong to the earlier or latest generation, however, it is the duty of the Cambodian people to put an end to this war […]
(11) By receiving Khmer Rouge leaders, 3 messages sent
Yesterday, Cambodians in the country and in the United States did some live show (regarding the win-win peace achievement) and I commented that “24 years ago at this time Khieu Samphan, Nuon Chea and other Khmer Rouge leaders were having meal at my house” […] at that time, there were criticisms as to why Hun Sen (received the Khmer Rouge cabinet?) […] having done that my objectives were to send messages to 3 directions or 3 destinations. The first message is to the remaining Khmer Rouge forces that you had to drop your weapons because your bosses had come to my house already […]; the second message is to Cambodians across the country who have been at war and are afraid of war for 28 years that the war is over. And the third message is intended for the international community to bring investment to the country because Cambodia already ended its war.
(12) Peace realized through win-win politics “invaluable” and not yet implementable anywhere in the world
[…] I did not expect that some countries would criticize me for receiving the Khmer Rouge (leaders/Cabinet on 29 December 1998). I replied, pointing out that, “you should not forget that in the past you gave a diplomatic visa to the Khmer Rouge and laid the carpet to receive the Khmer Rouge. You let the Khmer Rouge sit at the United Nations.” (while) I just received my citizens to send a message (about the end of the war) to these three goals, and you criticized me […] the value of this peace (is priceless). There is no country in the world that has ended their wars the Cambodian-style win-win politics. We implemented the win-win policy where everyone wins. It is in the interest of all the people in Cambodia […] all the people who used to carry weapons and fight each other […] benefit from it […]
(13) To celebrates the 45th Anniversary of the Establishment of the National Salvation Army of Kampuchea – December 2, 1978, in 2023
(There were many groups who) were nicknamed the White Khmer, the Khmer Khieu, the Khmer Rouge, and the Khmer Pink, who were not armed. The Khmer Rouge was everywhere in the jungle. The Khmer Khieu(blue) were on the Cambodian-Thai border. The white Khmer is on the Cambodian-Vietnamese border. From 1970 to 1975, our country was divided into two parts, one ruled by Lon Nol and the other by the United Front for the National Unity of Cambodia, led by Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk. In between 1975 and 1979, under the Khmer Rouge regime, the Khmer Rouge was not able to control all the territory. There is an armed opposition force, like my armed forces, that has been built as the core of the present-day force. Next year, I will mark the 45th anniversary of the founding of the National Salvation Army of Kampuchea, which was key to the establishment of the National United Front for Salvation of Kampuchea on December 2, 1978. I am the creator of this armed force and I am still alive […]
(14) December 29, 1998 Cambodia has become one territory, constitution, King, government and armed force
This area has connectivity with the Oral mountain where in (1996), (the former Khmer Rouge General) Keo Pong (joined returned to the nation). When Pailin integration movement exploded, (we also pushed for) integration from the other side – Taken Koh Sla. I came in person. It was not until December 29, 1998 that Cambodia had become one territory, one constitution, one king, one government, and armed force. This is our true history. Given what we went through, peace is so precious that we must all protect it. Without peace, no one can talk of development. This is an experience (and/or lesson) that tells us that we have a duty to maintain peace to ensure development. The roads we have built here really serve the growing development needs of the people […]
(15) In 1988, Vietnamese experts left; 1989 Vietnamese voluntary troops did
I have been to Kampot many times. I always come to attend the January 7 ceremony in Kampot province […] one evening (January 7) we came to see the train station […] at that time, I was leading the reform from a production solidarity group – 1 to privatization by sharing hand […] I went to the negotiation with Prince Norodom Sihanouk for the second time in Saint-Germain-en-Laye on December 2, 1987 […] (while passing through Hanoi) I met with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam – Nguyen Van Linh and informed him that I would like to request the removal of all Vietnamese experts from Cambodia. The Vietnamese army could still be there […] why? There was a mismatch between teachers and students. I am reforming to focus on privatizing the economy, while Vietnam is working on strengthening cooperation. There was a mismatch between the experts and us […] (we) set out a plan to remove Vietnamese experts from Cambodia. The Vietnamese expert chief reported to me on June 2, 1988 that all Vietnamese experts had been withdrawn from Cambodia, while the Vietnamese army had withdrawn from Cambodia in September 1989. Vietnamese experts withdrew from Cambodia before the Vietnamese troops did […]
(16) Vietnam helps and abides by Cambodia’s decision
Likewise, the former President of Vietnam at that time, who was then Minister of National Defense after he was the Chief of Vietnamese Experts in Cambodia in the field of general management, saying, “Vietnam came to Cambodia to help prevent the return of the regime. Pol Pot only. Decisions regarding politics or economics are up to the Cambodian people.” That is the point that gives us the opportunity to embark on land reform. Our reforms commenced before what Vietnam’s reform, and before the Soviets’ Perestroika or Glasnost of (Mikhail) Gorbachev. I remember when I was interviewed in Kompot, (Asiaweek?) asked if Cambodia followed Perestroika or Glasnost of (Mikhail) Gorbachev? I said “No. It is a different situation. I cannot cut my head to fit in the hat. I am cutting the hat to fit my head. I also do not cut my feet to fit with the shoes. I have to cut my shoes to fit my feet.” That was Cambodia’s independence. Despite the presence of foreign troops in the country at the stage that we needed them, I thank Vietnam for helping us, but respecting Cambodia’s decision […]
(17) Immediately preparation to reopen the Poipet border pass after the fire
I would take this opportunity to express my condolences over the casino fire at Poipet city that left more than 10 people dead and dozens injured. I have been receiving reports from HE Ke Kim Yan (of Disaster Management) and HE Oum Reatrei (the Governor of Banteay Meanjei province) […] and we are in need of more equipment […] small fire trucks can’t spray water to the higher levels of the building. We had to move the fire extinguisher trucks from distance. Search and rescue teams worked all night […] I would like to request the immediate preparation of order to reopen the Poipet border pass, which is both for tourists and goods transit. Please work out how to facilitate normal operation […] it is the worst disaster at end of the year […]
(18) Dose 4 of Covind-19 vaccines for children of 3 to 5 years old, dose 5 from 5 to 12 years old and dose 6 for frontline officials, authorities and the general population
I would take this opportunity, as I already made a call yesterday through radio, television and online broadcasts related to the call for vaccination, ask our people to be ready to accept (the Covind-19 vaccine for) protection in advance, rather than let the sickness happen and then try to solve it. It is necessary to be immune in order to be able to withstand the deadly virus Covid-19, which is still making presence in our region and it is also present in our country […] I approved yesterday the proposal of the Standing Committee of the National Committee for Combating Covid-19 to prepare additional rounds of vaccinations […] 4th dose for children from 3 to 5 years old, 5th dose for children from 5 to 12 years old, and 6th dose for frontline civil servants, authorities and the general population […]
(19) Revenues from customs and tax and excise exceed plan by more than 25% …
I am happy with the success of our efforts in the economic sector, which is growing in line with the reopening of the country. Our national income is also increasing. I should say that this year, both customs and tax have exceeded the plan by more than 25%. Tax reached 3,437 million […] equal to 121.93%. We still have today and tomorrow (for 2022). Customs earned 2,670 million, equivalent to 104.15% […] this does not take into account non-fiscal revenue. We have earned more US$ 60 million of visa fee from two million visitors. We can make more money and that gives us the opportunity to invest in roads, in the necessary infrastructure, and the counterpart fund for projects […] with only 48 hours left, all civil servants from village chiefs, sub-head and members of villages leadership, commune councilors, civil servants, armed forces of all types, retirees and veterans will receive their salaries increases […]
(20) Exposed to all circumstances and incidents
As was said by Samdech Tea Banh “I(Hun Sen) am a person who has gone through all circumstances and all incidents.” It means all incidents – military incidents, security incidents, land reform and socio-economic incidents […] I have given talks and I have had all my talk as transcript in book form. I uphold my right not to publish it. I offered transcripts to only a few people. I do not have time to write all those facts. I have to record my voice. My talk has divided into 7 sections. One session lasts more than 4 hours. There are more than 30 hours. I will take a part, for example, relating to agriculture, to detail – how does land reform start, how difficult was it, etc. It is not easy to reach a decision to give ownership to the people in 1989 […] because some of our leaders only know about cooperative way. Those who went to study in northern Vietnam and returned to the country (to do economic management) only knew about cooperative. They had no ideas how the market economy works […]
(21) CPP does and will not disappoint people
I would like to reiterate that the CPP does not disappoint the Cambodian people due to its lack of responsibility. We have lived with the people since when we all ate (rice with) salt, and corn. As the Minister of Foreign Affairs, my food ration were 16 kilograms – of which 10 kilograms was rice and 6 kilograms was corn. The ration was not enough and we had to supplement it with boiled bananas […] people may judge for the upcoming election. At least (CPP has) the ability to protect you from war. That is the real ability you see with your own eyes and heard with your own ears. Life of the Cambodian people are not dependent on those outside the country making noises. For instance they make noise about losing the land, but here, the Prek Chak border, is still where the Prek Chak is. If it happens the way they say it that Cambodia lost 100 meters, 200 meters, 300 meters a day, maybe the Vietnamese border with Cambodia is now in Phnom Penh, or at least at the border of Kandal province […] what they (do/say) is a unvirtuous politics that we cannot reserve them understanding and/or tolerate […]./.
