CAMBODIA’S FOREIGN RELATIONS IN REGIONAL AND GLOBAL CONTEXTS Edited by DETH SOK UDOM SUN SUON SERKAN BULUT CAMBODIA’S FOREIGN RELATIONS IN REGIONAL AND GLOBAL CONTEXTS Published by Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Edited by DETH Sok Udom SUN Suon Serkan BULUT THE KONRAD-ADENAUER-STIFTUNG Freedom, justice and solidarity are the basic principles underlying the work of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS). The KAS is a political foundation, closely associated with the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU). As co-founder of the CDU and the first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Konrad Adenauer (1876-1967) united Christian-social, conservative and liberal traditions. His name is synonymous with the democratic reconstruction of Germany, the firm alignment of foreign policy with the trans-Atlantic community of values, the vision of a unified Europe and an orientation towards the social market economy. His intellectual heritage continues to serve both as our aim as well as our obligation today. In our European and international cooperation efforts, we work for people to be able to live self-determined lives in freedom and dignity. We make a contribution underpinned by values to helping Germany meet its growing responsibilities throughout the world. KAS has been working in Cambodia since 1994, striving to support the Cambodian people in strengthening democracy, the rule of law and human rights. Thereby, the foundation works towards creating an environment conducive to economic and social development. All programs are conceived and implemented in close cooperation with the Cambodian partners on central and sub-national levels. KAS is mainly working in the following fields: Administrative Reforms and Decentralization, Strengthening Political Parties and Parliaments, Legal Reform, Media Development, Political Education and Social Market Economy, as well as Foreign Policy Consultancy. CONTENTS Endorsement ..............................................................................................................................vii Foreword .......................................................................................................................................ix Preface ...........................................................................................................................................xv List of Biographies ................................................................................................................ xvii Abbreviations ...................................................................................................................... xxvii PART I: INTRODUCTION − About This Book: A Readers’ Guide ..................................................................1 − Chapter 1: Introduction: Cambodia’s Political History and Foreign Relations, 1945-1998 Dr. PATH Kosal ..................................................................................5 PART II: RELATIONS WITH NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES AND MARITIME SOUTHEAST ASIA − Chapter 2: An Overview of Cambodia-Thailand Relations: From Hostility to Harmony? Dr. DETH Sok Udom ......................................................................27 − Chapter 3: A History of the Future is Waiting to be Made: Contemplating Thai-Cambodian Relations-A Thai Perspective Dr. Morakot MEYER .......................................................................45 − Chapter 4: Cambodia’s Relations With Vietnam: Prospects and Challenges KRY Suyheang & CHY Terith.......................................................63 − Chapter 5: Vietnam-Cambodia Relations: An Analysis from a Vietnamese Perspective Dr. NGUYEN Vu Tung ...................................................................83 − Chapter 6: Cambodia’s Relations with Laos: In the Shadow of China Ambassador Julio A. JELDRES, Ph.D ......................................101 − Chapter 7: Cambodia and Maritime Southeast Asia Dr. Alvin Cheng-Hin LIM ............................................................117 iii PART III: RELATIONS WITH REGIONAL AND GLOBAL POWERS − Chapter 8: European Union-Cambodia Relations Robert HÖR ....................................................................................135 − Chapter 9: Australia’s Role In Cambodia: More Than a Peacemaking Architect LENG Thearith ..............................................................................161 − Chapter 10: Cambodia-Japan Relations: the Bumpy and Winding Road to the Strategic Partnership and Beyond Dr. LEANG Sim Onn .....................................................................179 − Chapter 11: Cambodia-Korea Relations: Bilateral Cooperations and the Changing Dynamics of Triangular Affairs BIN Rasmeykanyka ......................................................................205 − Chapter 12: Cambodia-China Relations: What Do Cambodia’s Past Strategic Directions Tell Us? CHEUNBORAN Chanborey .......................................................227 − Chapter 13: Cambodia-United States Relations: From Early Encounters to Post-Cold War Serkan BULUT ...............................................................................249 − Chapter 14: Cambodia-Russia Relations Dr. TENG Delux .............................................................................269 − Chapter 15: Cambodia-India Relations Anirudh S. BHATI & Dr. Bradley J. MURG..............................291 PART IV: MEMBERSHIP IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS − Chapter 16: Cambodia in the ASEAN Context SAM ATH Sambath Sreysour & Dr. OUM Sothea ...............311 − Chapter 17: Cambodia and the United Nations: A Multilateral Engagement Ambassador SUN Suon, Ph.D ..................................................335 iv PART V: ECONOMIC INTERGRATION AND SECURITY COOPERATION − Chapter 18: Cambodia's Defense Policy and Strategic Environment: Contemporary Issues, Challenges and the Way Forward VAR Veasna ....................................................................................365 − Chapter 19: Greater Mekong Subregional Cooperation (GMS) and Cambodia’s Foreign Policy Dr. CHHEANG Vannarith............................................................387 − Chapter 20: Cambodia’s Integration in Global Economic and Financial Systems YOU Sokunpanha ........................................................................413 v vi ENDORSEMENT It is indeed a privilege for me to be asked to write an endorsement for Konrad Adenauer Stiftung’s new book, Cambodia’s Foreign Relations in Regional and Global Contexts. This academic publication will certainly contribute to a better understanding of the evolution of Cambodia’s foreign policy in the context of fast-paced and changing regional and international landscapes. There is no denying the fact that there are not many publications written on this subject from the perspectives of Cambodian scholars and intellectuals, many of whom I assume have witnessed the country’s painful journey from the horrors of war at its worst period in the midst of the 1970s to peace, reconstruction and reintegration into the global community of nations. We must be mindful that Cambodia’s foreign policy imperatives have been dictated internally by its historical, cultural, geographical and political contexts while externally shaped, to a great extent, by powerful forces of globalization, competing geopolitical multipolar rivalries, and the rising of traditional and non-traditional security threats, as well as other mega trends like climate change and food/energy security issues, to mention just the major ones. As great advances in science and technology continue to unfold in the 21st century, bringing along innovation and improved well-being to humanity, the post-Cold War geopolitical landscape has brought, on the other hand, many uncertainties to the world. The current global and regional contexts, characterized by i) increasing likelihoods of conflicts (as in the Korean Peninsula), ii) the newly emerging trends of protectionism and populism (as embodied in President Trump’s “America First” and now “America Alone” with its pullout from the “Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP)”), iii) the rise of China as an economic power and its grand strategy of the “Belt and Road Initiative” (recently counterweighted by Japan’s “Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy,” in tandem with India’s “Act East Policy,” and ASEAN-led “Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)”), are forming multi-dimensional, cross-cutting geopolitico-economic kaleidoscopic forces that exert tremendous pressure on a small country like Cambodia. Last but not least, Cambodia’s foreign policy alignment with its regional ASEAN Community, well known for its “ASEAN Centrality” and “ASEAN Way,” offers another perspective on how the country is conducting its policy coordination in a multilateral framework or in fora like the G20, the WTO, ASEM, and the UN, on global issues such as the UN peacekeeping operations and the SDGs. In sum, and in light of the above, I can only congratulate Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and all the contributing authors for their perseverance in delivering such a quality publication that is much needed for our academia, think tanks and policy makers. Enjoy the reading! His Excellency Dr. SOK Siphana Advisor to the Royal Government of Cambodia vii viii FOREWORD I am deeply honored by the request from the editors to write the foreword for this great book. Cambodia’s Foreign Relations in Regional and Global Contexts is a very timely and important book. At the outset, I would like to strongly compliment the three editors, Associate Professor