Kampot (FN), Apr. 21 – Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet stated that the opposition abroad is engaging in self-destructive behavior by misrepresenting the contents of the joint statement between Cambodia and China following Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Cambodia. He stated that such analysis is not grounded in truth.

The premier spoke on Monday (Apr. 21) during the inauguration of the Kampot International Tourism Port.

Samdech Thipadei underscored, “I was shocked yesterday when they made such claims. I want to point this out: I have noticed that the same few people have long operated within a small circle. Are all Khmer people bad? Is our country really the worst? As fellow Khmer, why not acknowledge and speak positively about some aspects of our people? It's fair to criticise where criticism is due, but silence or distortion doesn’t serve anyone.”

Samdech Thipadei added that yesterday, Kim Sok analysed the joint statement between Cambodia and China, which was released by the Foreign Ministry following the Chinese President's visit. In his analysis, he raised three points. The third point claimed that, according to the joint statement, the Phnom Penh government had effectively handed over the entire country to China including the security sector, the armed forces from the sub-national level to the top, and the economy.

Regarding this point, Samdech Thipadei questioned the source of the claim, highlighting that the interpretation of the publicly available joint statement between Cambodia and China is misleading and undermines public confidence, especially since the Cambodian people are capable of reading and understanding the document for themselves.

On the occasion, Samdech Thipadei added that a politician’s influence and credibility depend on maintaining public trust. When that trust is lost, so too is the support of the people. A politician’s strength lies in their moral conduct, integrity, honesty, and consistency.
=FRESH NEWS