Chea Munyrith② | Cambodia-China Relationship is Testament to the Power of Mutual Understanding, and Cooperation
- Chea Munyrith
- 3月26日
- 讀畢需時 3 分鐘
Chea Munyrith, president of the Cambodian Chinese Evolution Researcher Association
Since Cambodia acceded to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2004, it became one of the fast-growing economies and one important player in ASEAN. In terms of trade, China is currently Cambodia’s top major trading partner. With the recent entry into force of the RCEP, China sees this mega-regional FTA as an important piece in the greater economic integration of East Asia. Cambodia and China have also signed in October 2020 the CCFTA, making China the first-ever Cambodia’s bilateral FTA partner. These two agreements will transform Cambodia’s trade landscape to enable it to fully capture the vast market access of China.
Chinese path to modernization emphasizes a must to the path of peaceful development.
Politically speaking, China has firmly adhered to the principle of peaceful coexistence, respecting independence and sovereignty in its pursuit of good relations with Cambodia. Vice versa, Cambodia has always maintained its stance on the ‘One-China Principle’ and supports China’s efforts to safeguard its core interests. For the record, Cambodia was one of the main actors in facilitating and materializing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) in 2002, which turned out to be one of the cornerstones in transforming the South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship, and cooperation. Over the past 20 years, Cambodia has never failed to call on the relevant parties to fully implement the DOC, deepen pragmatic maritime cooperation, and reach an early conclusion on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC). We can’t talk about trade and investment without putting them in the larger framework of global peace and security.
Our world today is witnessing accelerating changes unseen in this century. We have barely emerged from the pandemic, and already, we are confronted with unprecedented multiple security crises. That is why during his recent visit last February 2023, Samdech Techo Hun Sen reaffirmed his support for China’s GSI proposal and stood ready to work with China on global security governance towards a common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security. Having gone through years of war itself, Cambodia can appreciate the philosophy behind the GSI concept whereby humanity is an indivisible security community, and peace can only be secured through a path of dialogue over confrontation, partnership over alliance, and a win-win over zero-sum.
In sum, the Cambodia-China relationship is a testament to the power of mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation. The contributions of key figures, starting with Premier Zhou Enlai, the late King Father His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk, Samdech Techo Hun Sen, and much more recently, Samdech Moha Bovor Thipadei Hun Manet, have been instrumental in the nurturing of this privileged relationship. For his part, Samdech Techo Hun Sen has played a critical role in the development of the Cambodia-China relationship. His leadership has been instrumental in deepening political ties, promoting economic cooperation, and strengthening people-to-people exchanges between the two nations. Samdech Moha Bovor Thipadei Hun Manet’s full support of the “Diamond Cooperation Framework” demonstrates the new government’s unwavering commitment to continue Samdech Techo’s legacy of enhancing cooperation and collaboration between the two countries for years to come for the purpose of promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in the region. Looking to the future, Samdech Hun Manet is poised to strengthen this bilateral relationship and elevate it to a greater height.
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