Hun Manet, the deputy commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) and commander of the army’s infantry, distributed 75 vehicles donated by the People’s Republic of China to 32 units of the RCAF.

Manet presented the vehicles on Tuesday to Lieutenant General Mao Sophan, deputy commander of the Royal Cambodian Army and commander of Brigade No70, which received 25 military vehicles.

Ministry of National Defence spokesman Chhum Socheat said the 75 vehicles include 55 military vehicles and 20 operational vehicles to be used for training.

Socheat said the vehicles are grants from the People’s Republic of China within the framework of cooperation between the two countries’ Ministries of Defence.

He said that through bilateral and multilateral cooperation with countries in the region and the world, Cambodia has always received a lot of support – material and financial – from partner countries, including the People’s Republic of China which is a major donor to Cambodia.

“The Chinese military assistance to the RCAF at this time shows the good friendship, relations and comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries,” said Socheat.

Democratic Institute for Democracy president Pa Chanroeun said on Tuesday that in receiving support from a powerful country, especially military gifts, Cambodia must be smart.

“If we receive gifts from powerful countries and refuse gifts from other powerful countries, it will cause disappointment. It can make Cambodia look like it has a bias toward a particular country,” he said.