As US Economy Slows, Investment in Asean Nations Necessary

Siem Reap City – With a host of uncertainties still hanging over the U.S. economy, more than 100 American businesses—the largest delegation to ever visit Cambodia—gathered here over the weekend, and all of them were in agreement about one thing: The slowdown in the U.S. and Europe has made it imperative to invest in the Asean region. “When you look [at] what’s going on in Europe and the United States, our companies will have to be in Asia and will have to be in this region, where we have seen some significant growth rates,” Myron Brilliant, senior vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said on the sidelines of the U.S.-Asean Business Forum on Friday. Judging by the list of businesses attending—General Electric (G.E.), Boeing and Chevron were all present—the U.S. is taking investing in the region seriously. So are Asean’s leaders, with Prime Minister Hun Sen, Burmese President Thein Sein, and Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra all joining U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at Sofitel for a swanky dinner on Friday evening. The stakes are high. …