CNS: What’s the role of China in the current world economic development? Some politicians and media in Western countries are bad-mouthing China’s economy and questioning China’s economic development. What do you think about it?
Mey Kalyan: There is no doubt that China’s development has a profound impact on the global economy. As a stabilizer, China has always been an important participant and promoter of the global economy because of its large population, huge market, and close ties with countries around the world. Connectivity is a core feature of China’s economy. The proposal and development of the Belt and Road Initiative have strengthened the ties between China and the participating countries, making the connectivity a unique one.
Meanwhile, China is also one of the world’s largest manufacturing centers, and people around the world are deeply impressed by its high-quality and inexpensive products. China’s target of 5% GDP growth in 2024 is very reasonable and in line with the law of economics. We should see the underlying logic behind the figure. As the world’s second-largest economy, China slows down its economic growth. This is in accordance with the current development trend. Besides, the figure is fairly considerable compared with many developed countries.
China has promoted the connectivity among countries around the world through its active participation in international cooperation and a series of cooperation measures such as the Belt and Road Initiative. China’s contribution to global trade and economic growth should be duly recognized and respected.
Some voices questioning China’s economy and its development. Part of them result from geopolitics and ideological differences, information dissemination bias and misunderstanding. In response to these doubts, I think that China should continue to adhere to its development path, maintain an open and inclusive attitude, and strengthen communication and cooperation with other countries. At the same time, it should also strengthen information dissemination to enhance the international community’s understanding of China.
CNS: How do you understand the “Chinese modernization”? What features does it have in common with Cambodian modernization?
Mey Kalyan:The most important feature of “Chinese modernization” is solidarity, which means the people reach a consensus and the whole country works together to promote national development. As a major power with a long history, China can mobilize all its people to pursue a common goal, in which the right direction is essential because it is the foundation of development. Chinese modernization takes root in advanced development concepts and embodies the leadership of the Chinese government and national cohesion.
Cambodia differs greatly from China in terms of economic size and natural endowments, and therefore, there are many differences in the development paths of these two countries. Nonetheless, the two countries have long-standing historical ties and traditional friendship. They share the same Asian cultural background: Chinese traditional culture advocates Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, while Cambodia is a Buddhist country. Both countries emphasize cooperation rather than confrontation, and collectivism rather than Western individualism. This is the ideological foundation for bilateral cooperation and mutual influence of Cambodia and China.
As China has made remarkable achievements in its development, it knows better the problems faced by other developing countries and has accumulated various solutions. Moving forward, Cambodia can draw from China’s success, give full play to second-mover advantage, and learn the “Chinese wisdom” in infrastructure construction, human resources development, and business models.
However, it should be noted that the market sizes and development stages of the two countries are different. Therefore, Cambodia should choose a development path suited to its national conditions rather than copying the Chinese model down to the last detail.
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