CCRS, 10 July 2024
Background
On 5-6 July 2024, at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sok Chenda Sophea, Japan Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko paid an official visit to Cambodia. This was FM Kamikawa’s first visit to Cambodia after taking office in September 2023. This was part of her trip to Southeast Asia from 5-9 July 2024. After Cambodia, the next stop for FM Kamikawa was the Philippines.
While in Cambodia, she paid a separated courtesy call to PM Hun Manet, and Senate President Hun Sen. She then visited the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC). After that, she held a bilateral meeting followed by a working dinner with DPM/FM Sok Chenda Sophea.
During this visit, there were two documents signed by the two FMs on:
1. Grant aid (approximately USD 2.7 million) to implement the Project for Human Resource Development Scholarships, particularly for young Cambodian officials to study master’s and doctoral degrees at Japanese universities.
2. Loan (approximately USD 59.6 million) to implement the National Road No. 5 Improvement Project (Thlea Ma’am-Battambang and Sri Sophorn-Poipet Section). Repayment period is 30 years (including 10-year grace period).
Below is an overview of what Cambodian and Japanese sides said during this visit, followed by a reflection on the essence of this trip.
Cambodian Readouts
The first Cambodian dignitary that FM Kamikawa met was PM Hun Manet. According the PM’s readout, he thanked Japan for supporting Cambodia’s development, and highly valued Cambodia-Japan relations following the elevated Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2023. The two sides discussed a new approach in cooperation covering three key areas namely, 1/ enhancing social infrastructure through clean water, sewage system, digital development, and cyber security; 2/ maritime connectivity through transforming Sihanoukville Port to become a regional logistical hub, and enhancing maritime security cooperation between Cambodia and Japan focusing on trainings and joint drills; and 3/ enhancing cooperation on mine action of which Japan supports Cambodia hosting the Fifth Review Conference of the Convention on the Prohibition of AntiPersonnel Mines (Ottawa Convention) to be held in Siem Reap in November 2024. The PM and the FM of Japan welcomed and congratulated joint mechanisms such as Vice-Ministerial Level Dialogue on Foreign Affairs, and Defense between the two countries. The two sides also deliberated on economic cooperation, and ways to attract more Japanese investments to Cambodia.
Then, FM Kamikawa paid a courtesy call to Senate President (SP) Hun Sen. SP said that despite changes of PM in Cambodia, the good relations between Cambodia and Japan will not change, and will only be enhanced. He recalled that he just visited Japan in January this year to change his artificial lens, and despite no longer the PM of Cambodia, PM Kishida Fumio of Japan still made time to meet him. SP views PM Kishida as an old friend. He asked FM Kamikawa to send his warm regards to PM Kishida. While meeting with SP, one of the topics that the Japanese FM raised was Japan plans to organize an international conference on mine actions in 2025, and seeks Cambodia’s support to participate in this conference. In response, SP told her that Cambodia will take part in this international conference. He also reaffirmed Cambodia’s continued support for Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP), and noted that Cambodia’s position on regional and international issues is not so different from Japan.
Lastly, FM Kamikawa met with DPM/FM Sok Chenda Sophea. During the meeting, both sides affirmed what the Japanese FM discussed with PM Hun Manet, and SP Hun Sen. A statement by Cambodia’s Foreign Ministry also revealed that Japan will provide patrol boats to the Cambodian National Police.
Japanese Readouts
Before embarking on her trip to Cambodia and the Philippines, FM Kamikawa told the press in Tokyo of the purpose of her visit. She said, “During this visit, we will confirm our intention to advance concrete cooperation to deepen our ties as true friends with “heart-to-heart” connections and to advance concrete cooperation.”
Particularly on her visit to Cambodia, the Japanese FM stated, “In Cambodia, I intend to strengthen our relationship with the Hun Manet administration and set out a new approach for bilateral cooperation based on our longstanding collaboration and the current situation of development in Cambodia. In addition, building on Japan’s years of cooperation with Cambodia on humanitarian mine action, I hope to present a vision for our assistance to humanitarian mine action during my upcoming visit to Cambodia.”
In all of her meetings with Cambodian leaders, she conveyed a consistent message that Japan’s objective is to help strengthen Cambodia’s sustainability and further co-create social value, focusing on human resource development and the use of Japanese technology. Therefore, in line with Cambodia’s development and the cooperative achievements between the two countries, Japan would like to work with Cambodia on “three new cooperation approaches” namely, 1/ social development infrastructure, 2/ maritime connectivity, and 3/ humanitarian mine action as also noted in the Cambodian readouts.
The Japanese FM constantly discussed with Cambodian leaders the democratic development in Cambodia. She also raised the importance of maintaining and strengthening the free and open international order based on the rule of law. Both Japan and Cambodia agreed to continue to work together on international affairs including Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, North Korea, the situation in Myanmar, Isarel-Palestine, ASEAN-Japan Cooperation, and Women, Peace and Security (WPS).
While in Cambodia, FM Kamikawa announced “Japan’s Comprehensive Package of Assistance to Humanitarian Mine Action” as Japan’s vision for its assistance to humanitarian mine action around the world. Under this package, Japan will implement assistance to humanitarian action based on the following approaches, 1/ Triangular cooperation with Cambodia as a hub, 2/ Strengthening cooperation with like-minded countries and international organizations, 3/ Utilization of the latest science, technology and innovation.
In this regard, she launched “Japan-Cambodia Landmine Initiative” that has four pillars: 1/ raise awareness of the inhumanity of landmines and build international momentum for mine reduction, 2/ creation in the relevant Cambodian organization of an international cooperation team for a world free from landmines, 3/ Japan-Cambodia cooperation to support humanitarian mine action in third countries, and 4/ development of equipment using the latest technologies.
Essence of the Visit
The visit of Japan Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko to Cambodia is significant in injecting additional vigor for Cambodia-Japan relations after more than 70 years of ties. This visit signals Tokyo’s continued commitment to be a genuine supporter and partner for Cambodia’s development based on its Free and Open Indo-Pacific, and also in line with its long-established advocate of the concept of human security which has been long championed by Japan to advance sustainable development.
The record speaks for itself for Japan when it comes to helping support Cambodia’s peace and development for more than 30 years since the signing of the Paris Peace Agreements in 1991. Moreover, Japan’s soft and caring approaches accorded with sensitivities in dealing with Cambodian leaders on certain issues have been well appreciated by Phnom Penh. All these have contributed to building a solid foundation of trust for the relationship between the two countries.
Cambodia has also tried to reciprocate its goodwill towards Japan. As this visit showed, Cambodia reaffirms the country’s support for Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific, agrees to collaborate with Japan to support humanitarian mine action in third countries such as Ukraine, and also commits to working together closely on regional and international issues of mutual concerns. These also show Cambodia’s commitment to working with Japan to enhance its recently elevated Comprehensive Strategic Partnership at the bilateral level, and at the regional level under ASEAN to enhance regional security and prosperity.
As the world and the region are entering choppy waters resulted from geopolitical tensions such as US-China rivalry, and complex regional issues from Myanmar, South China Sea, East China Sea, North Korea, Taiwan, ongoing crisis in the Middle East to War in Ukraine, it is important now more than ever that Cambodia continues to attach great importance in enhancing relations with champions of global rules-based order such as Japan to enhance the country’s long-term independence, peace, security, and prosperity. Japan is in a good pole for small countries like Cambodia to look out for in order reduce pressures of choosing sides and diversify its external relations.
In this context, Cambodia-Japan relations need to be further nurtured. As this visit signaled, Japan has more to offer for Cambodia, and is willing to extend helping hands to Cambodia. Japan’s system of governance, vast economy, sophisticated diplomacy and defense, vibrant business and society, and cutting-edge infrastructure, technology and science all have potentials to contribute to Cambodia’s growth. Cambodia needs to harness such potentials by counting on Japan to undertake substantive reforms of the country’s domestic governance, and economy.
Capitalizing on the excellent bond of friendship between the two countries, the visit by Japanese FM opens up a fresh opportunity to advance Cambodia and Japan relations to a greater height. Both sides should take full advantage of the existing mechanisms such as Cambodia-Japan Dialogue on Foreign Affairs, and Dialogue on Defense to advance the already excellent bilateral relations to move forward their cooperation with greater stride in political, economic, social-cultural, and people to people relations for mutual benefits and for the greater good of the world at large.
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