Don’t Envy the Chinese, Gov’t Tells Europe

The commerce minister yesterday urged European businesspeople in Phnom Penh to invest more in Cambodia and not to envy the Chinese firms now dominating the foreign investment scene. Speaking at the gathering of the European Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia, Minister of Trade and Commerce Cham Prasidh said global financial uncertainty was slowing foreign direct investemnt (FDI) across Southeast Asia. ... According to figures released by the Council for the Development of Cambodia in August, approved large-scale investments in Cambodia from Chinese companies totaled more than $172 million in the first six months of this year. Approved investment from E.U. companies totaled just $35 million during the same period, out of a total of nearly $480 million of investment approved. ...