Cambodias Stand Towards South China Sea Issue

Abstract

Abstract Cambodias Standard towards South China Sea Issue

TRALONG Pannharoth International Area Studies Graduate School of International Studies Seoul National University

The Great Khmer Empire, today known as Cambodia, made a great leap of its civilization from the 9thcentury to the 15th century, a regime that established masterpiece of constructions across Cambodia and some parts of its neighboring countries, unique cultural influences and a hub of regional trade. Such a great civilization, however, did not last long and the question remains unanswered why the Great Khmer Empire declined so dramatically.

In the last three decades, Cambodia has still greatly suffered in deep conflicts, social fragmentation and political turmoil resulting from competing political influences of super-power countries and its own extreme pure society ideology – the Khmer Rouge. Recovering from those nightmares, Cambodia is now enjoying great political stability comparing to her neighbors, has integrated itself into regional and international communities

and steps forward toward economic development with GPD growth of 7 percent annually (World Bank, 2015).

Although the country is now on the right path, there are many regional issues and Cambodia has yet to secure its role in Southeast Asia. The South China Sea Issue remains a fundamental issue that recently has divided the unity of ASEAN, which failed to issue a join communiqué for the first time in its 47 year history. In addition to that, the South China Sea Code of Conduct (COC), for example, which was initiated in 2002 during Cambodias Chair of ASEAN Summit and the Declaration of Conduct (DOC), a milestone promoting regional stability and peace, during its chair of ASEAN Summit in 2012 remains in limbo resulting from poor cooperation and the unwilling of concern parties to reduce their differences. Again the ASEAN Summit in Laos 2016, Cambodia is accused of being bought by China for its stand opposing strong language in the join-communiqué condemning China military activities and urge the immediate implementation of the court verdict which favored the Philippine, decades closed U.S. ally and supportive strategic partnership of U.S. Pivot Policy towards Asia. These differences have led to the suggestion of Cambodia Exit from ASEAN, claiming its the only one that opposes the ASEAN Unity, but others questions if ASEAN is created to serve the interest of the only big and powerhouse ASEAN Member States? Other questions what ASEAN contribute to Cambodia or its ASEAN Member States and what is the worth of staying? With no conflict of interest over the pool of territory disputes, Cambodia has been given a significant opportunity to test its ability promoting its minimizing any damages to regional peace and stability, but hasnt produced any remarkable achievement so far. These suggest the research to focus on its foreign policy and to what extend it can pursue interest and role in regards to the South China Sea Issue.

This paper examines Cambodias foreign policy and its stand, the opportunities and challenges that could navigate both regional and global political environment to fulfill its national interests. Also, it seeks to explain the importance of its initiative effort in regional issues – the South China Sea – to influence its policies and maintain its position based on its principle of neutrality and non-alliance, and at the same promote regional peace and stability. The study then hypothesizes the implications and challenges of Cambodias foreign policy within degree of its capacity to maximum interests Cambodian can pursue responding to the South China Sea Issue and today political challenging context.

Keywords: South China Sea Issue, Cambodias position in South China Sea, Cambodias stand in SCS, Cambodias relation with China and US, Cambodia-China relation, ASEAN-China relation toward SCS.

Student Number: 2015-25112