Prime Minister Hun Sen is scheduled to be in Beijing on August 12 to sign a free trade agreement with his Chinese counterpart. The new agreement is expected to usher in an enhanced level of economic cooperation between the two countries, deemed especially important to Cambodia.
On the same day, Cambodia is likely to mark another step in the erosion of its long-standing ties with Europe, with the expected partial suspension of ‘Everything But Arms’ trade privileges that will affect Cambodia’s important garment and footwear export industry.
Cambodia’s undeveloped economy has benefited from close ties with Europe since the United Nations Transitional Authority of Cambodia helped govern the country from 1991 to 1993 following years of war that had decimated the country.
