DAP: The breaking news in Cambodia: “Cambodian DPM: dam "not collapse", just small technical problem” plus 4 more

DAP: The breaking news in Cambodia: “Cambodian DPM: dam "not collapse", just small technical problem” plus 4 more

Cambodian DPM: dam "not collapse", just small technical problem

Posted: 05 Dec 2012 07:55 PM PST

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Keat Chhon said here Thursday that the incident at the Atay hydropower dam was just a "small technical problem" and the company has high responsibilities for this issue.

"It is not the collapse of the dam," he said at the National Assembly's session following the claim of opposition party lawmaker Yim Sovann that "the Atay dam was collapsed due to substandard (factors)."

"The project is still good, but it will be a bit delay in supplying electricity," Keat Chhon said. "We are sorry for the injuries to workers during the incident."

Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy Suy Sem said that the incident was "very small" because it was just the leakage in a concrete tunnel of the dam.

"It is not the collapse of the dam, there is no remarkable damage, the turbines are all in good conditions, the dam is also in good shape," he told Xinhua over the phone on Wednesday. "The firm just fixes the damaged point, everything is OK."

He said the incident would not discourage the government from supporting Chinese companies in hydropower development.

"We still strongly support the company to continue the dam construction in order to complete it as soon as possible," he said. "We need electricity; it is a key element for the country's social and economic development."

The incident happened on Dec. 1 at the Atay hydropower dam when a concrete tunnel at the upper part of the dam ruptured, causing water in the reservoir to flood downstream, leaving six workers slightly injured and three others missing.

The injured were immediately sent to hospital and five of them have recovered and left the hospital.

The firm is still searching the three missing men, and construction of the dam is still under way.

Situated at the upper reaches of the Atay River in Pursat province, western Cambodia, the hydropower project covers an area of 4,674 hectares. With a total installed capacity of 120 megawatts, the hydropower station will supply power to the Electricity of Cambodia when it goes into operation.

The 381-million- U.S. dollar project is invested by the China Datang Corporation. Construction started in May 2008 and is expected to complete in November 2013 under a concessional 34-year build-operate-transfer contract with the Cambodian government.

ASEAN-China Centre Held Reception Celebrating the First Anniversary of its Establishment

Posted: 05 Dec 2012 07:54 PM PST

On 5 December 2012, ASEAN-China Centre hosted the reception celebrating the first anniversary of its establishment in Beijing Kempinski Hotel. Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying of the People's Republic of China, Cambodian Ambassador Mdm. Khek Caimealy Sysoda as the representative of the rotating ASEAN Chair of 2012, and Director-General Mr. Arthayudh Srisamoot of the Department of ASEAN Affairs of Thailand Foreign Affairs Ministry as the representative of the coordinating country between ASEAN and China, attended the function and delivered speeches.

 

Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying said that within the short span of one year, ACC made full play of its own advantages, utilized both governmental and non-governmental resources, and engaged in diverse, substantial and effective activities. Thanks to the hard efforts of the ACC and the strong support of the ASEAN Member States, the achievements of the ACC had been fully recognized and well received and contributed to the advancing of ASEAN-China cooperation. She believed that, with the strong support and commitment from both Chinese and ASEAN governments, the work of ACC would move to a higher level and the relations between ASEAN and China would have a brighter future.

 

Ambassador Sysoda said that ACC had played an important role in promoting ASEAN-China cooperation. She gave her special thanks to the assistance of ACC in dispatching CCTV groups to Cambodia in April and September 2012 respectively for a documentary series showcasing Cambodian society, culture and economic development. With the help of ACC, more and more Chinese tourists came to Cambodia and discovered for themselves the marvelous wonders of Angkor Wat. This sincere cooperation and promotion would be kept in the memory of the Cambodian people and government.

 

Director-General Srisamoot pointed out that the ACC had clearly demonstrated that, with support from all sides concerned and its capable staff, the comprehensive array of activities arranged by the Centre covering on seminars, capacity building programmes, exhibitions and exchanges of visit had contributed significantly to regional integration and ASEAN community building process. He believed that ACC would move forward at a stable and solid pace to achieve its goal as effective channel for promoting mutual understanding and fostering ASEAN-China relations.

 

ACC Secretary-General Ma Mingqiang pointed out that the year of 2012 had been a year of learning and exploration for ACC, and also witnessed ACC's commitment to advancing all-round cooperation between ASEAN and China. ACC hosted and participated in more than 50 symposiums and lectures on trade, investment, education, culture and tourism in 22 cities of ASEAN and China, released about thousands pieces of Chinese and English information on its official website, and introduced the ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership to tens of millions audience and deepened the practical cooperation between ASEAN and China in all fields. He expressed his gratitude to the governments of the 11 ACC members, ASEAN embassies in Beijing and all walks of society for their care and support to ACC. He assured that ACC would continue its efforts to promote good-neighborly relations and mutual trust, facilitate practical cooperation and enhance the friendship between ASEAN and China.

 

Over 500 distinguished guests including the representatives of various Chinese Ministries, Ambassadors of ASEAN Member States to China and personage of commerce and business, academy and media attended the reception.

 

The Second Meeting of the Joint Council of the ASEAN- China Centre Convened at the ACC

Posted: 05 Dec 2012 07:53 PM PST

 On 5 December 2012, the Second Meeting of the Joint Council of the ASEAN China Centre was held at ACC. The Meeting was co-chaired by H.E. Mr. Kan Pharidh, Permanent Representative of the Royal Embassy of Cambodia and the Permanent Mission of Cambodia to ASEAN, and H.E. Mme Yang Xiuping, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to ASEAN. The Meeting was attended by officials from the member countries of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam and the representatives of ASEAN Secretariat.

 

 In her opening remarks, the Co-Chair from China spoke highly of the important role that ACC played as the one-stop information centre and activity centre to promote the substantial cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, education, culture and tourism. She said that the Chinese government would continue to join hands with the governments of ASEAN Member States and to support the work of ACC for the further development of ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership.

 

 The Co-Chair from ASEAN commended the tireless efforts and successful operation of ACC in the year of 2012. He said that the work done by ACC had contributed to the development of ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership. The ASEAN side would continue to offer supports to ACC in order to deepen and expand ASEAN-China all-round cooperation.

 The Meeting reviewed and adopted the documents related to the wok of ACC, including the work report of 2012, the work programme and budget for the year 2013. The Meeting agreed to convene the Third Meeting of the Joint Council in the last quarter of 2013.

 In the morning of the same day, the Second Meeting of the Joint Executive Board of ACC was convened.

Japanese auto supplier sets to launch auto parts factory in Cambodia

Posted: 05 Dec 2012 07:53 PM PST

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- A Tokyo-based auto supplier, the Yazaki Corporation, has completed the construction of an automotive electronics and instrument plant in Cambodia and the production will be launched later this month, a company representative said Wednesday.

Speaking during a meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen at the Peace Palace, Yasuhiko Yazaki, chairman of Yazaki Corporation, said that the plant was built in the Koh Kong Special Economic Zone in Koh Kong province, some 271 km Southwest of Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia.

He said that plant is equipped with sophisticated technologies and automotive products made from the factory will be exported to countries around the globe.

It will be inaugurated on Dec. 17 and Hun Sen will preside over the inauguration ceremony.

Yazaki did not give the details of the factory's investment cost and production capacity.

Besides, he said that the firm also planned to produce solar system and agricultural appliance in Cambodia.

Hun Sen said the country would be pleased to see the factory's launching.

He assured him that investment in Cambodia was safe because the country has no any risks in either natural disasters or politics.

Cambodia has seen remarkable increase in investments from Japan in recent few years. In September, AEON Mall, a Japan's single- largest shopping mall developer and the largest retailing operator, said that it would invest 200 million U.S. dollars to build a four- story shopping mall in Phnom Penh and the construction will be started next week.

China, Russia vow to advance cultural exchange, cooperation

Posted: 05 Dec 2012 07:52 PM PST

MOSCOW, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Senior Chinese and Russian officials on Wednesday agreed here to work together and take effective measures to push forward people-to-people and cultural exchange programs between the two countries.

While meeting with Deputy Russian Prime Minister Olga Golodets Wednesday in Moscow, the Russian national capital, Chinese State Councilor Liu Yandong said people-to-people and cultural cooperation programs had become an important force to boost bilateral ties over the past five years, with cooperation fields expanding to nine fields ranging from education, tourism to media, and legions of events being organized in both countries, which attracted hundreds of millions of residents in the two countries, helping improve understanding and friendship of the two peoples.

It is necessary to take pragmatic measures to boost exchange programs in this regard so that they could benefit the peoples of the two countries and make new contribution to solidify and promote the Sino-Russian comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation, said Liu.

Liu and Golodets also co-chaired the 13th session of the China- Russia Committee on Humanities Cooperation.

While expressing her message of congratulations on the success of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the deputy Russian prime minister hailed the positive development signs in Russian-Chinese ties at present and echoed Liu's pledge in boosting people-to-people and cultural exchange programs in the future.

Following the meeting, Liu and Golodets attended a ceremony for signing of documents concerning educational cooperation and unveiled the Chinese Culture Center in Moscow.

Liu arrived in Moscow Tuesday, starting a four-leg visit which will also take her to Cambodia, New Zealand and Australia.

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