Phnom Penh (FN), Jun. 19 – Cambodia and China always extend mutual support when it comes to the issues of core interests. For them, this is the real essence of a Cambodia-China Community with a Shared Future.

In a turbulent international environment, Cambodia and China attach great importance to the sanctity of their respective core national interests, independence, sovereignty and self-determination on the path of development.

For instance, The Chinese side always firmly supports the Cambodian people's choice of a development path suited to Cambodia's national conditions, Cambodia's efforts to safeguard its independence, sovereignty, security and development interests, and the steady advancement of Cambodia's important national political agenda, while expressing its firm opposition to any foreign interference in the internal affairs of Cambodia.

The Cambodian side always firmly adheres to the One-China policy. Cambodia regards the government of the People's Republic of China as the only legitimate government representing the whole of China, opposes any attempt to interfere in China's internal affairs by supporting separatist activities, and resolutely supports all China's efforts to achieve national reunification.

Mutual assistance in protecting core national interests, independence, sovereignty and self-determination can be regarded as the overriding principle of Cambodia-China relations. Based on this primordial principle, the two countries are developing multifaceted security cooperation.

Although there are many types of securities, such as economic securities, etc., this article will look at two aspects of bilateral cooperation, namely military-to-military cooperation and Covid-19 cooperation. Next, it will address security cooperation at the regional and global levels.

Military Cooperation

For Cambodia, bilateral military cooperation with China is one of the most dynamic and comprehensive relations that Cambodia has. It defines the robustness of Cambodia-China security cooperation.

China was the only country with which Cambodia conducted military exercises during and immediately after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Since 2016, Cambodia and China have held the Golden Dragon military exercise five times. In 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 epidemic, Cambodia was the first and only foreign country with which China conducted a military exercise. The joint naval exercise before the official start of the Golden Dragon-2023 joint drills marked a high level of comprehensive military exchange and cooperation between China and Cambodia.

Indeed, military cooperation between Cambodia and China goes beyond frequent military exercises. China's supplies of military equipment, training and scholarships to Cambodia often make headlines regarding the breadth and depth of security cooperation between Cambodia and China.

Of note, on 8 June 2022 Cambodia broke ground on the construction of upgrades to the country’s naval capacity through the modernisation of Ream Naval Base. The groundbreaking ceremony kicked off the construction project to rehabilitate the dry dock, pier and slipway along with the construction of a vessel maintenance workshop. The port at Ream Naval Base is currently too shallow at just 7m in depth, but after its rehabilitation it will be able to dock medium-sized vessels.

Despite various accusations about a possible presence of Chinese troops on Cambodian soil, Cambodia has made it known that its Constitution does not authorize foreign military bases or a foreign military presence on Cambodian soil. Cambodia also explained the need to renovate the base, which only serves to strengthen the country's naval capabilities so that Cambodia can protect its maritime integrity and combat crime on the high seas.

Covid-19 Cooperation

Covid-19 cooperation is an important aspect of human health security. Health security had never been as significant as when the Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the whole world.

In the face of the pandemic, there was a serious gap in vaccine availability between developed and developing countries. Nevertheless, China had played an exemplary role in helping many developing countries, including Cambodia, to fight against this deadly disease. Many Cambodian leaders, notably the then Prime Minister Hun Sen spoke the truth without fear that Cambodia relied on China the most during the Covid-19 crisis. He said that in procuring millions of doses of Covid-19 vaccines, “if I didn’t rely on China, who would I rely on?”

As of December 2022, Cambodia had received a total of 42.1 million doses of vaccines from China, comprising of 13.6 million doses of assistances, and 28.5 million purchased doses.

China also sent military medical experts along with medical supplies and equipment to Cambodia to help combat the highly contagious disease. According to General Tea Banh, the former Minister of National Defense, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a few milestones deserved to be inscribed in the Cambodia-China history, adding that those included the special visit of Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen to Beijing on 5 February 2020, the Cambodia-China military exercise in March 2020, and the sending of Chinese medical team to aid Cambodia's fight against the virus.

From the side of China, they also appreciated Cambodia's total objection to politicizing and stigmatizing COVID-19, and also praised the kingdom for its firm support for the World Health Organization's indispensable role in combating the pandemic.

Security Cooperation at the Regional Level

Cambodia-China cooperation on regional level refers specifically to cooperation within the ASEAN frameworks. ASEAN and China have worked closely together to promote agenda of peace and security in the region through the ASEAN-led regional frameworks such as ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations, ASEAN Plus Three, ASEAN Regional Forum, ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting, East Asia Summit.

It is difficult to say that ASEAN and China have no differences in terms of security, but it is more important to note that the strong relations between ASEAN and China, which seeks to promote dialogue and cooperation based on mutual trust and mutual benefit, and mutual understanding, have played an important role in maintaining peace and stability in the region.

And in this context, cooperation between Cambodia and China has contributed to the wider ASEAN realm, and Cambodia has always played a constructive role in strengthening ASEAN-China relations.

In 2022, Cambodia assumed the chairmanship of ASEAN for the third time under the theme “ASEAN A.C.T.: Addressing Challenges Together”. Cambodia and China are committed to open regionalism that supports the building of a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful, and amicable home in the region, through the deepening of ASEAN China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Cambodia and China believe that with joint efforts of ASEAN Member States (AMS) and China, the situation in the South China Sea has maintained overall stability. Since the signing of the DOC in 2002 in Phnom Penh, the DOC has served as the main vehicle to promote trust and confidence and maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea region.

With regards to the ongoing COC negotiations, due to the pandemic, the physical negotiations were stalled temporarily. It was only until 2022 that Cambodia had the opportunity to resume the physical COC negotiations, in Siem Reap in May 2022, and in Phnom Penh in October 2022.

The journey towards concluding the COC was not easy due to divergent perspectives, however Cambodia has been steadfast in encouraging the Parties concerned to seek mutual understanding and to find common ground to move forward in the course of the negotiations.

Security Cooperation at the Global Level

Security cooperation on the global level here refers to mutual supports between Cambodia and China on international multilateral organizations and platforms with the shared objectives to protect core national interest, independence, sovereignty and self-determination.

Cambodia is a staunch supporter of the three initiatives of President Xi Jinping, namely the Global Civilization Initiative, the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, because they all sit well with Cambodia’s values and principles in the conduct of international relations.

Cambodia and China recognize the common values for all humanity of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom, and stand ready to safeguard the international system with the UN as its core, the international order based on international law, and the basic norms governing international relations embodied in the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, while opposing all forms of hegemonism, power politics, unilateralism, exclusive bloc politics which targets specific countries.

The two countries are committed to building a new type of international relations and promoting global partnerships of equality, openness and cooperation towards a community with a shared future for mankind.

Both sides agreed on the adherence to true multilateralism, firmly supporting the open, transparent, inclusive, non-discriminatory and rules based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core and standing ready to jointly promote the WTO to play a greater role in global economic governance.

Conclusion

Relations between Cambodia and China have demonstrated their time-tested resilient friendship. Relations have been further strengthened at the time of the crisis that threatens the security of the respective countries, and both sides always regard each other as “a friend in need is a friend indeed.”

This ironclad friendship, underlined by strong security cooperation, has enabled the two countries to firmly protect their core national interests, independence, sovereignty and self-determination on the path of development.

Nonetheless, their security cooperation is not something purely selfish and exclusive. On the contrary, security cooperation between Cambodia and China has contributed significantly to ensuring regional security, maintaining peace and ensuring the smooth functioning of regional and global multilateralism. In the coming future, in a difficult and uncertain international situation, it is natural to anticipate that Cambodia and China will continue to strengthen their security cooperation, not less, to enhance their ability to lead nations in peace and prosperity in accordance with the aspirations of the people.

Sim Vireak
PhD Candidate at Jinan University (Guangzhou)
=FRESH NEWS