Protect the heartland and the Leverage geopolitical relationships Establish a permanent and natural resources that support to prevent any other country from Strategic Imperatives secure land border. Control the Gulf of Thailand. Cambodian livelihoods. amassing power in the region. Secure the peninsula north and east to the Annamese Secure the Mekong River Delta Mountains (of Laos and and the northern Mekong Vietnam), and north and west entrance from Laos. Take over through the plains of Thailand Become dominant the naval the Mekong Delta provinces of to the mountains with presence in the Gulf of Vietnam west to the base of the Maintain close economic relations grand strategy Myanmar. Thailand. Annamese mountain range. with the largest regional powers. Establish military bases in NE to protect the great lake (Tonle Sap) which irrigates the central rice fields and fisharies. Place a military base at the northern Establish maritime bases in entrance of the Mekong river to Protect Cambodia's two weak Phnom Penh, Ream secure the source of the great Exploit tensions between China northern gaps: Oddar (military),and Sihanoukville lake. Create a corresponding and Vietnam. Keep relationship Meancheay and Preah Vihear (civilian). Seize Islands (Koh wall of defenses facing the with the US as a check to China's provinces. Build a military Kut and Koh Chang) and South and the South East to influence. Exploit ethnic divide in presence in the northern Khlong Yai District - annex to protect the capital of Phnom Mekong Delta by appealing to Strategy provinces of the country. the Koh Kong Province. Penh. Khmer nationalism. Establish military bases along the north western and south - Secure a maritime border that eastern borders. Push for gives Cambodia control of the - Develop a friendly - Cultivate economic partnership international recognition of oil and gas resource areas. - relationship with Vietnam. with China (main source of FDI) - present borders with Thailand Settle the dispute regarding the Exploit the sympathy between Seek good relationship with Japan (International Court of Justice Overlapping Claims Area the two nation's ruling parties. - (Japanese funded development (ICJ) and United Nations). (‘OCA’). -Obtain ships from Prevent Cambodians from projects). -Look for common Obtain military and economic China to patrol the Gulf of leasing land to Vietnamese interests with the US (military Tactics aid from China. Thailand. farmers. cooperation, terrorism, narcotics). Throughout its history Cambodia had to fight for its survival, since it was permanently invaded both by neighbors and external powers. Therefore, it is crucial for the country to establish solid borders that could prevent invasions. Equally important is to control the Mekong River delta: of the more than 10 million Cambodians currently living in rural areas, over 8.5 million depend on natural resources to support their livelihoods. While Cambodia has achieved its fourth strategic Net Assessment imperative, it will keep struggling with the other three in the next years..