Writer: Vannarith Chheang, NTU
Cambodia’s international coverage is basically formed by the worldview of Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has greater than 4 many years of sensible expertise in diplomacy and international affairs. Understanding Cambodian international coverage, together with its resolution to co-sponsor the UN decision to sentence Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, means greedy the pragmatism that informs Hun Sen’s decision-making.
Hun Sen doesn’t purchase into the notion of a unipolar world, run by america, or a bipolar world order cut up between Beijing and Washington. He desires to revive the spirit of the non-aligned motion and enhance South–South cooperation to kind a goodwill coalition in opposition to international interference and shield the legit pursuits of the growing world.
On the Davos World Financial Discussion board in Might 2022, Hun Sen mentioned that Cambodia was tired of taking sides within the US–China rivalry regardless of mounting stress from main powers. However he acknowledged that Cambodia faces challenges brought on by unstable geopolitical rivalries. In response to those challenges, Hun Sen helps multilateral initiatives such because the Belt and Street Initiative and Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific — a method that promotes regional peace and prosperity with out forming alliances in opposition to third nations, making it in keeping with ASEAN centrality.
As an open and small financial system, Cambodia should be related with the area and the world for its personal survival and financial progress. ASEAN acts as a springboard from which Cambodia can join with the worldwide financial system. ASEAN cushions its members from the results of international intervention, particularly from superpowers by emphasising the non-interference precept and consensus-based decision-making norms. Because the 2022 ASEAN chair, Cambodia is striving to boost ASEAN unity, centrality and the spirit of cooperation to deal with rising challenges going through the area.
Though Cambodia has sturdy financial and political ties with China, this doesn’t imply it has put all its eggs in a single basket. Amid growing geopolitical and geoeconomic uncertainty, Cambodia more and more hedges between america, China and regional establishments. Cambodia was the primary Southeast Asian nation to register its help for the Japan-led ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific’ — an initiative that Phnom Penh sees as complementary to ASEAN-led regional mechanisms.
Throughout Lieutenant Common Hun Manet’s go to to Japan in February 2022, either side agreed to strengthen defence and safety cooperation beneath the Free and Open Indo-Pacific framework. Through the Japanese Chief of Workers’s go to in April 2022, particular areas of cooperation included peacekeeping operations, humanitarian help and catastrophe aid in addition to instructional alternate. The Japanese Self Defence Forces and the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces agreed to work extra intently collectively to deal with challenges within the area with a purpose to realise the imaginative and prescient of a ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific’.
Financial diversification can also be in full swing. A yr after signing a Free Commerce Settlement with China in October 2020, Cambodia reached one other settlement with the Republic of Korea in October 2021. Cambodia is exploring alternatives to barter bilateral commerce agreements with different key financial companions similar to Japan, India and the Eurasian Financial Union. Whereas China stays Cambodia’s prime investor and buying and selling accomplice, america and the European Union stay the nation’s two important export markets — particularly for textile merchandise. Cambodia is attempting to keep up preferential market entry to those two markets with out giving up entry to Chinese language capital and items markets.
Cambodia intriguingly co-sponsored the March 2022 United Nations decision to sentence Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, figuring out that Russia would take measures to punish Cambodia in response. Cambodia’s resolution was underpinned by their respect for sovereignty and the territorial integrity of an unbiased state — each foundations of the worldwide rules-based order.
Having been the sufferer of nice energy politics through the Indochina wars through which France and america had been embroiled, Cambodia has bitter experiences in coping with superpowers. This informs Hun Sen’s dedication to not cede to international interference in regional politics, significantly in the case of being pushed into the arms of both China or the Unites States.
As a pragmatist, Hun Sen minimises dangers by hedging financial relations with america, China and Southeast Asia, whereas maximising worldwide cooperation by attempting to implement ‘reforming at residence and making buddies overseas based mostly on independence’. The continuing institutional reforms and capability constructing of international service officers are gaining exceptional outcomes. Diversification methods have been applied along with the promotion of open and inclusive multilateralism and a rules-based worldwide order.
Though Cambodia possesses restricted materials assets and has intensive expertise with international intervention, it isn’t totally with out company. The fluidity of alliances, multiplicity of main powers (China, India, Russia, and america) and the more and more very important roles of regional establishments such because the European Union and ASEAN within the worldwide system signifies that Cambodia has the strategic area to manoeuvre. It will probably repeatedly regulate its international coverage posture to adapt to the fast-changing geopolitical panorama through which there are rising US–China tensions and hostile financial traits.
Sustaining independence and strategic autonomy is an uphill battle for small states like Cambodia. However remaining non-aligned, regardless of its sturdy relations with China, is a technique Cambodia can navigate a brand new period of financial complexity and geopolitical volatility.
Chheang Vannarith is a Lecturer in Public Coverage and World Affairs at Nanyang Technological College and the President of the Asian Imaginative and prescient Institute.
