Prime Minister Hun Manet addresses a celebration of the 20th anniversary of Cambodia's accession to the World Trade Organization on October 14. Information ministry
Prime Minister Hun Manet reiterated that Cambodia will not align itself with any politically motivated regional or global mechanisms, nor those which are opposed to any other country or bloc.
Instead, under his leadership, the Kingdom will engage only with mechanisms that do not compromise its independence.
While addressing a ceremony held to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Cambodia’s membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO) on October 14, the prime minister explained that he had assigned Aun Pornmoniroth, Minister of Economy and Finance, the task of reviewing regional and global mechanisms to determine whether Cambodia should join or avoid them.
“I want to clarify that many mechanisms are currently being created, especially within our region. Some of them are only slightly related to the economy or not at all, but have political or security characteristics that could compromise our neutral political stance,” he said.
“To be clear, Cambodia will not participate in any political mechanism that is created to compete with or oppose any country or bloc. This has always been our policy, and we will maintain it. We will engage with blocs and mechanisms that share the common goals of maintaining harmony, peace and stability in the region, promoting regional development, particularly economically, as Cambodia really needs peace,” he added.
Manet, however, did not specify which agreements or treaties Cambodia is currently considering. It should be noted that there are several competitive regional mechanisms in place, such as the US-led Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy (FOIP) and China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Cambodia's leadership has previously expressed support for the BRI, which has contributed to the country’s development through various projects.
Yang Peou, secretary-general of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, noted that global powers are currently competing for geopolitical influence, and explained that this situation means Cambodia should always exercise caution before joining mechanisms like military alliances or those which aim to counter other ones.
He added that joining a military alliance could violate Cambodia's Constitution, particularly Article 53, which stresses non-alignment, and could also breach various international laws. If Cambodia does not maintain its neutrality, it could suffer consequences similar to those that occurred during the Cold War, Peou warned.
"We cannot fully escape the influence of global competition, but we must adhere to a neutral stance to avoid being used as a pawn in geopolitical rivalries by major powers,” he said.
Pa Chanroeun, president of the Cambodian Institute for Democracy, emphasised that Cambodia must make its stance clear in the face of growing competition and tensions between the major powers or other geopolitical matters.
“This kind of announcement serves to protect Cambodia from accusations and reinforces its neutral stance, as stipulated in the constitution,” he said.
