DAP: The breaking news in Cambodia: “China alert for bird flu from Cambodia” plus 3 more

BEIJING, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- China's quarantine authority announced on Monday that it has ordered strengthened prevention against avian influenza H5N1 after the disease infected five people in Cambodia last month.

The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) will increase checks on the body temperatures of people traveling to China from Cambodia, according to a notice on the AQSIQ's website.

Travelers entering with fever, cough, headache or general malaise should report to the quarantine control department, said the AQSIQ.

People suspected of being infected will receive careful tests and be sent to medical institutions for further treatment, the administration added.

Local quarantine authorities will provide health services and education to international travelers to help them avoid being infected by the epidemic.

China will also strengthen sanitary measures against bird flu at customs. Vehicles, containers and goods from Cambodia will be put under strict quarantine upon entering China, according to the notice.

The preventive measures will be valid for three months, the AQSIQ said.

The Cambodian case of avian influenza has left four of the five infected patients dead, according to a report from the World Health Organization.

KOH KONG, Cambodia, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Saturday inaugurated a hydroelectric plant with a capacity of 18 megawatts here, saying that the plant would help reduce power shortage and reliance on diesel-fueled electricity.

The Kirirom III Hydro Power Plant, invested and constructed by the State Grid Corporation of China, was begun construction in July 2009 and completed last year, he said, adding that the project cost 47.1 million U.S. dollars.

"The dam is a new achievement for Cambodia under the investment from China," the premier said at the inauguration ceremony, which was attended by Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Pan Guangxue and senior Cambodian officials as well as about 2,500 locals.

Hun Sen hailed Chinese investors for their strong commitment to invest in Cambodia in all fields, saying that their investment is hugely contributed to developing Cambodia's economy and society.

"The investment has come from good relations and cooperation between Cambodia and China. On behalf of Cambodian government, I' d like to thank Chinese government for encouraging Chinese investors to Cambodia," he said. "The plant will help the country not only to reduce electricity shortage, but also to cut reliance on oil-fueled electricity."

"In the context of globally soaring oil price, electricity generated by hydropower plants is a sustainable source of electric power supply," he said.

Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy Suy Sem said the project is a concessional contract of a 30-year build- operate-transfer ( BOT) with Cambodian government, and the electricity is sold to the state-owned Electricity of Cambodia at the price of 7.91 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour.

Currently, Cambodia has a total electric power of 790 megawatts, he said. Of the amount, it buys 196 megawatts from Vietnam, 95 megawatts from Thailand and 2 megawatts from Laos, and the remaining amount is generated by local hydroelectric dams and oil- fueled plants.

Speaking at the ceremony, Pan Xiaojun, Head of Inspection Group of the State Grid Corporation of China, expressed profound thanks to Cambodian government, Chinese Embassy to Cambodia and local authorities for their facilitation and cooperation until the project was successfully completed.

"China and Cambodia are close friends and to support Cambodia in social and economic development, many Chinese investors have invested in various fields in Cambodia, especially in electricity, " he said. "With the operation of the Kirirom III Hydro Power Plant, we believe that it will reduce power shortage in Cambodia."

He said that the 18-megawatt plant can produce electricity of 78 million kilowatt hours a year.

The minister Suy Sem said that the Kirirom III dam is the 3rd China-invested hydroelectric dam that began operation in Cambodia. The first two operational dams are Kirirom I with the capacity of 12 megawatts in Kampong Speu province and the 193-megawatt Kamchay Hydro Power Plant in Kampot province.

Besides, he said, 3 other hydropower dams, invested by Chinese companies, are under construction in Cambodia. Those are Tatay River hydropower dam with the capacity of 246 megawatts, Atay River hydropower dam of 120 megawatts and Russei Chrum Krom with the capacity of 338 megawatts.

All the projects are expected to be completed by 2015.

BEIJING, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- The China International Water & Electric Corp. (CWE) will invest more in hydropower projects in Assocation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries, the head of the company said Friday.

Wang Yu, president of CWE, said at a meeting with commercial counselors from ASEAN countries that the company is eager to engage in more hydropower projects and contribute to hydropower development in ASEAN countries.

CWE was working on more than 30 contracting projects in ASEAN countries by the end of 2012, according to Wang.

The counselors also welcomed CWE to invest more in their countries.

Ong Chong Yi, a counselor from the Malaysian Embassy to China, said that compared with Malaysian investment in China, the latter's investment in his country is quite small.

Bui Huy Hoang, a counsellor from the Embassy of Vietnam to China, said he hopes more Chinese companies will invest in Vietnam.

Xu Ningning, executive secretary-general of the China-ASEAN Business Council, said ASEAN countries have a similar cultural background to China and it is easier for Chinese companies to do business there.

CWE is a state-owned company that specializes in international hydropower construction and investment. The company is now operating in about 30 countries and regions with total assets exceeding 10 billion yuan (1.6 billion U.S. dollars).

Diplomatic officials in charge of commercial affairs from Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia visited CWE on Friday to discuss further hydropower cooperation with China.