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Yelizaveta Yurchenko
Postgraduate, Karadeniz Technical University
Ozgur Tufekci, Dr
Associate Professor, Department of International Relations, Karadeniz Technical University
Abstract
The essay aims to explore Cambodia’s behaviour and decisions in the international arena, which emerged from its close economic cooperation with China. This paper uses the ASEAN ministerial meeting in 2012, the Ream Naval Base dispute, and the Belt and Road Initiative infrastructure project as case studies. In this way, we obtained detailed information about the specific mechanisms of influence of the above-mentioned events on Cambodia’s further decisions in foreign policy. This paper reveals that the long-term multidimensional cooperation between China and Cambodia has had a direct impact on Cambodia’s diplomatic activities within ASEAN, ensuring the protection of China’s geopolitical interests at the cost of destabilising a crucial regional bloc. It follows that in order to preserve the unity of ASEAN and take the maximum strategic benefit from partners, Cambodia needs to apply a balance mechanism between cooperation with China and the Southeast Alliance.
Keywords: ASEAN; Economic cooperation; The Belt and Road Initiative; Chinese investment; Cambodia’s foreign policy.
Resumo
O ensaio tem como objetivo explorar o comportamento e as decisões do Camboja na arena internacional, que surgiram da sua estreita cooperação económica com a China. Este artigo utiliza a reunião ministerial da ASEAN em 2012, a disputa da Base Naval de Ream e o projeto de infraestrutura da Iniciativa Belt and Road como estudos de caso. Desta forma, obtivemos informações detalhadas sobre os mecanismos específicos de influência dos eventos acima mencionados nas decisões futuras do Camboja em matéria de política externa. Este artigo revela que a cooperação multidimensional de longo prazo entre a China e o Camboja teve um impacto direto nas atividades diplomáticas do Camboja dentro da ASEAN, garantindo a proteção dos interesses geopolíticos da China à custa da desestabilização de um bloco regional crucial. Conclui-se que, para preservar a unidade da ASEAN e obter o máximo benefício estratégico dos parceiros, o Camboja precisa aplicar um mecanismo de equilíbrio entre a cooperação com a China e a Aliança do Sudeste Asiático.
Palavras-chave: ASEAN; Cooperação económica; Iniciativa Belt and Road; Investimento chinês; Política externa do Camboja.
How to cite this article:
Yurchenko, Yelizaveta & Tüfekçi, Özgür (2025). Balancing an Emerging Power’s Influence: Cambodia’s Foreign Policy Choices within Asean under Chinese Economic Leverage. Janus.net, e-journal of international relations. Thematic Dossier-Emerging Powers In-between Global and Regional Organizations, VOL. 16, Nº. 2, TD1, December 2025, pp. 434-451. https://doi.org/10.26619/1647-7251.DT0525.23
Article submitted on 09th July 2025 and accepted for publication on 08th October 2025.