Statuesque Cambodia

by+Chu+Jiwang

Cambodia is a beautiful country， with fresh air， a good environment， and nice people. It is considered sacred by Buddhists. When I traveled to Angkor Wat last year， I was deeply impressed by its remnants of ancient civilization， including millennium-old stone carvings and contentment-faced Buddha statues.

This August， I returned to Cambodia with my son， but not for leisure this time. I made the trip to establish subsidiaries in Phnom Penh， the capital， and Sihanoukville， a coastal city.

After landing in Phnom Penh， we headed directly to the economic development zone in Sihanoukville， 210 kilometers away. Our fatigue was washed away in the drizzle upon passing simple dwellings， towering coconut and banana trees along the green plains， and glimmering Buddha statues in yards. We were told that almost every household has a Buddha statue.

The airport at Sihanoukville now welcomes flights all the way from Europe and America since increasing numbers of global investors have discovered it. I had to work to stay focused on the investment environment rather than the stunning natural scene surrounding me.

Cambodia has a population of 14.8 million. Its land area is equivalent to Guangdong Province， which has a population of more than 75 million. Part of my bullishness about the country is its low population density.

After investigating five enterprises in Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh， my son and I estimated that Cambodias economy lagged behind China at least 30 years.

During our stay there， I learned that local workers make US$100-150 a month， and almost all factories follow same rules： Employees work eight hours， six days a week and get Sunday off – similar to China 20 years ago. Nevertheless， people seem happy with what they have.

While visiting a garment factory， the general manager told me， “We have over 1，000 employees， all female. They work very hard and earn a monthly salary of US$100.” I saw them all together in a 3，000-square-meter workshop expertly operating sewing machines.

“Its safety standards leave much to be desired，” I declared. “First， its too crowded， with no emergency exits. Second， its poorly ventilated. Finally， it lacks sprinklers and fire extinguishers despite so much flammable material.”

“No one has ever checked us since we opened more than a decade ago，” the general manager replied with a shrug.

“Seriously？！” I was shocked. “Your only concern is a check？” “This is normal in our country，” I was told. The situation reminded me of inconsistent enforcement of fire safety measures in Chinese enterprises last century. Work safety regulations became standardized in China after lessons were learned through many lives lost.

Despite my concerns， I recognize the business opportunities Cambodia presents， recalling the years following Chinas introduction of economic reform and opening up in 1978. The world is developing rapidly， and I believe Cambodia will catch up with developed countries in less than 30 years if its political situation remains stable and the government sticks to its policies of reform and opening up.