A girl dries unhusked rice on a road in front of her home in Kampong Thom province, Cambodia, on Saturday. (Reuters photo)PHNOM PENH - Cambodia is seeking early implementation of China's plan to annually purchase 200,000 tonnes of Cambodian rice, to help prevent plummeted rice prices from falling even further, a senior government official said Monday. Chinese Premer Li Keqiang, in his meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen in Laos early this month, pledged to double China's annual purchase of 100,000 tonnes of Cambodian rice to 200,000 tonnes, starting from next year. The deputy prime minister also called for early disbursal of China's pledged loan of $300 million to Cambodia for building warehouses and drying facilities. Cambodia is a diplomatic ally of China, while the latter is a major provider of low-interest loans and grants to the Southeast Asian country.

Source: Bangkok Post September 26, 2016 11:37 UTC