China and Japan continue their diplomatic duel

Although the Asian superpowers exchanged many words this week, relations remained volatile

People in the whole world saw a part of China’s essential character.”

-Remarks from Japan’s new Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara, considered a China hawk, who also said that he hoped for an improvement in relations.

We hope Japan can ... stop making irresponsible remarks and safeguard

the larger interests of bilateral relations with concrete actions.”

- Comments from Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu in response to negative remarks made about China by Seiji Maehara and other Japanese officials.

“Companies that have an economic partnership with such a country are quite a soft touch.”

- Comments critical of China from Yukio Edano, deputy secretary general of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, as reported by a number of daily newspapers.

Of course we make our cases on what concerns our sovereignty, but

getting along well with China benefits people’s economic activity andlives. This is the same for the people of China.”

- Japan’s Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara, lobbying for China to continue diplomacy despite the fallout that began around disputes over an island chain, called Senkaku by Japan and Diaoyu by China.

The kingdom's

economy

by the numbers

5 percent

Asia Development Bank’s prediction for growth of the Kingdom’s economy this year, up from its previous prediction of 4.5 percent.

Foreign direct investment

4.25 billion dollars of FDI in Cambodia that has been predicted for 2010 by the Council for the Development of Cambodia .

10.9 billion dollars of foreign direct investment in Cambodia in 2008, according to the CDC.

61 percent total drop in FDI over the last two years, due largely to the global economic crisis.

119 percent The increase in approved investment from China in Cambodia in the first six months of 2010, compared to the same period of 2009.

Banking

14 percent The quarter-on-quarter increase in profit, based on the latest reports from Canadia Bank, the most profitable in Cambodia last year, according to Vice President Dieter Billmeier.

29.6 percent The reported quarter-on-quarter growth in the profits of Acleda Bank.

Business

894 The number of business registrations approved from July to September this year by the Ministry of Commerce.

50 percent The quarter-on-quarter increase this number represents.

Not Exactly

News Trends

Good and bad news on the train tracks

A rough finish

Indonesian police arrested the driver of a train that crashed after 36 people were killed and dozens more injured.

The driver was arrested for alleged “negligence which led to deaths”, his lawyer said. AFP

A smooth beginning

The 117-kilometre stretch of railway between Kampot and Phnom Penh has reopened, according to officials.

“It’s the start of regular service,” said chief executive David Kerr. Although service will be limited to freight for now.

Still cool, but possibly harmful as well

WARNING: CIRCLE LENSES CAN BE BAD FOR YOUR EYES!

Despite the fact that they were officially deemed cool by Mak Kuleka, you might want to think twice about circle lenses.

Ophthalmologists fear that wearing the coloured lenses could lead youngsters to compromise their eye health or even, in extreme cases, risk blindness.

According to one in Phnom Penh, wearing coloured contact lenses is not safe in places with a lot of dirt and dust, like Cambodia.

Space invaders of varying degrees

A holiday on the moon

Virgin Galactic will offer commercial space travel within 18 months, and space hotels are next, said CEO Richard Branson.

“We just finished building SpaceShipTwo,” he added. The fare will be $200,000. AFP

The moon can wait

A group of software developers sent a helium balloon with a Styrofoam box towards space from Kandal province to take photos and video of the Earth above Cambodia last weekend, calling it a success.

Big Stories

Despite a recent plea from Prime Minister Hun Sen, a US official said that they would not forgive the debt incurred by the Kingdom under the Lon Nol government because Cambodia is “unwilling, rather than unable” to pay.

The UN human rights envoy to Cambodia, Surya Subedi, addressed the UN last week, citing“noteworthy progress” in certain areas, but also expressed concern about the “narrowing of political space in the country for people belonging to the opposition political parties and other political activists.” AFP

The Khmer Rouge tribunal released the indictments of four Khmer Rouge figures expected to be tried next year, accusing them of involvment in the deaths of perhaps 2.2 million people.

The court’s co-investigating judges brought charges, including genocide and crimes against humanity.

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Laugh a little

DELHI authorities are to deploy a group of langurs – a large type of monkey – at Commonwealth Games venues to help chase away smaller simians.

This week, 10 langurs started work outside Games venues in the Indian capital. The New Delhi Municipal Council has a regular team of 28 langurs to scare away their weaker brethren in VIP areas of the city, but 10 more have been brought in from the neighbouring state of Rajasthan. AFP