(MENAFN- Asia Times)
The perception that Cambodia is pro-China has gained traction in recent years. With Cambodia's increasing economic, security and Political reliance on China, it is easy to label the country as a Chinese satellite state.
The data is indeed compelling: Chinese grants to Cambodia surged from US$92.45 million in 2007 to approximately $4.6 billion by 2021. Between 2013 and 2022, China's cumulative investment in Cambodia reached $12.02 billio .
In 2010, the two sides' relationship was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with China becoming the first nation to hold such a diplomatic status with Cambodia.
As Cambodia's largest provider of military aid , China has offered tanks, armed vehicles, an air defense force training center, annual military exercises, capacity-building programs and recent modernization of the strategic Ream Naval Base.
So does all this confirm that Cambodia is inherently pro-China?
Cambodia's relationship with China is best understood as a combination of strategic calculation and necessity aimed at securing economic development and national defense in a region where its security and sovereignty are under constant pressure from more powerful neighbors and where available strategic options are limited.
Rather than indicating an outright endorsement of Beijing's geopolitical agenda or a simple“pro-China” stance, Cambodia's approach demonstrates a calculated effort to be“pro-itself”-maximizing benefits while carefully managing the risks of great power rivalry.
Cambodia's foreign policy under former prime minister Hun Sen exemplifies this pragmatism and realism. As a de facto one-party state, Cambodia's foreign policy has been heavily shaped by the personalized political culture surrounding Hun Sen, who has been the chief architect of Cambodia's diplomacy since becoming prime minister in 1985.
Initially, Hun Sen viewed China as the“root of everything evil” due to its support for the Khmer Rouge regime and opposition to his Vietnamese-friendly PRK government. However, in a significant shift, he began cooperating with China by 1998, notably shutting down Taiwan's representative office in Phnom Penh and banning officials from visiting Taiwan in any governmental capacity.
In exchange, Cambodia received its first provision of $10 million in loans and $2.8 million in military aid from the People's Republic of China. This shift wasn't about embracing Chinese ideology but rather a strategic recalibration to adapt to changing domestic and international conditions.
At that time, his government desperately needed both international legitimacy and financial resources for post-conflict national reconstruction after his 1997 coup, which led to international sanctions and isolation.
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