Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Foreign ministry: VOA’s debt article ‘misleading’

Foreign ministry: VOA’s debt article ‘misleading’

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
Ministry spokesman An Sokkhoeun at the February 6 press conference. MFAIC

Foreign ministry: VOA’s debt article ‘misleading’

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation denied a report published by Voice of America (VOA) that Prime Minister Hun Sen was scheduled to visit China next week to seek out tens of millions of dollars in loans.

It dismissed the contents of the report as false, saying it was intended to mislead the public for political purposes.

The reaction came after VOA – the largest US international broadcaster funded by the US Congress – published a February 4 article titled “Cambodia seeks more assistance from China as concern over debt trap grows”.

“Prime Minister Hun Sen is expected to visit Beijing next week looking to borrow more than $4 billion for a high-speed railway line that will connect Cambodia’s capital with the economic hub on the Thai border,” the article read.

“The deal would be the latest symbol of the ‘ironclad’ friendship between the two countries that has observers worried that Cambodia’s growing dependence on Chinese largesse could lead to a ‘debt trap’ with long-term economic and geopolitical consequences,” it added.

Foreign ministry spokesman An Sokkhoeurn said at a February 6 press conference that the VOA article was untrue and unprofessional and that it misled the public for political reasons.

“The reporters of VOA did not verify the source of the information that they received and this is one of the examples that show the low quality of the reporters at VOA, because this article was written with its facts wrong intentionally,” he said.

“The statement that the prime minister’s visit to China next week is to ask for loans to build this high-speed railway is false. The truth is that the project will not be supported by loans. The project will open the way for investment via BOT [build, operate and transfer],” he continued.

Sokkhoeurn said Hun Sen and many other ministers have clarified the details and intentions of the project on several occasions.

He said the government has no intention of borrowing money in large amounts for the project from overseas and is always serious about managing foreign debts, though it prioritised urgent and necessary infrastructure projects like transportation.

“Despite having been given several explanations previously, the reporters of VOA intentionally ignored these clarifications and continued to play what is called dirty politics to undermine Cambodia-China relations.

“Once again, Cambodia welcomes every investment in this project, but in the form of BOT,” he stated.

VOA did not respond to The Post’s emailed request for comment by press time.

MOST VIEWED

  • 12th Cambodia int’l film festival to see return of Hollywood star

    Phnom Penh is set to come alive with the magic of cinema as the highly anticipated 12th Cambodia International Film Festival (CIFF) takes centre stage. Boasting an impressive line-up of 188 films from 23 countries, including captivating shorts, feature films, documentaries and animation, the festival promises an

  • Brawl marrs football final as Indonesian take gold in seven goal thriller

    The Indonesian men's U22 men national football team were crowned champions of the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia, defeating Thailand 5-2 in extra time on May 16 at Olympic National Stadium in Phnom Penh. The match was marred by an ugly incident that occured in the 91

  • Bareknuckle champion wants Kun Khmer fighter

    Dave Leduc, who is the current openweight Lethwei boxing champion in Myanmar, has announced that he will travel to Cambodia this year to challenge SEA Games gold medallist Prum Samnang any time that is convenient, after their planned match later this month in Slovakia was

  • Candlelight Party disqualified from July general election

    The National Election Committee (NEC) has disqualified the Candlelight Party (CP) from contesting the upcoming general election, citing a lack of valid documentation. NEC spokesman Khorn Keomono said the CP failed to fulfil one of the three main requirements: including original documentation proving their registration

  • Thong Khon calls for orderly SEA Games closing ceremony

    Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism and permanent vice-president of the Cambodia SEA Games Organising Committee (CAMSOC), calls on all people who have received tickets to the May 17 closing ceremony of the biennial multi-sports extravaganza at the Morodok Techo National Stadium to ensure that the event

  • 1.4 billion dollar Phnom Penh-Bavet expressway due in four years

    The Government, through the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, has officially signed a public-private partnership agreement with a private company for the construction of a Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway project that will connect the capital to Svay Rieng province. The budget for the project is