Bearers of gifts
The Chinese go a-wooing
WHEN Li Peng, China's second-in-command, visited Cambodia last month, his interest in the country clearly extended beyond the wonders of ancient Khmer civilisation and a trip to the ruins of Angkor Wat. His visit, and an earlier one in November by his boss, President Jiang Zemin, coupled with numerous Chinese trade and cultural delegations to the capital Phnom Penh and generous amounts of aid and investment, add up to an intense wooing of Cambodia, designed to expand China's influence in the region.
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “Bearers of gifts”
From the June 23rd 2001 edition
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