CHINA AID

PM to ask China for new loans

Prime Minister Hun Sen announced plans to borrow upwards of US$300 million from the Chinese government during his trip to Beijing later this month. "We need some hundreds of millions ... $300 million is a small amount for China," Hun Sen said during the opening of the fourth Asia Economic Forum in Phnom Penh on Tuesday.

Hun Sen is scheduled to attend the Asia Europe Meeting, which runs October 24 and 25 in Beijing. During the trip Hun Sen will also celebrate retired King Norodom Sihanouk's birthday on October 31. Last year, China provided more than $600 million in loans to Cambodia for the development of its infrastructure.