A Blend of “Hard” and “Soft” Assistance: China’s Aid to Cambodia

Abstract

China’s economic aid to Cambodia began in 1956. Over six decades, China has become Cambodia’s largest donor or, in the terms of Chinese officials, provider of South–South cooperation (SSC). On the one hand, China has offered considerable infrastructure and civil facilities and has made great contributions to Cambodian economic and social development. On the other hand, China’s aid programs have also attached great importance to skills development and cultural conservation in Cambodia. The Restoration of Angkor relics project is one such case. China’s aid to Cambodia features a blend of “hard” and “soft” approaches and has followed such SSC principles as equality, mutual benefit, respect of sovereignty, having no strings attached, and being demand-driven. Through this approach, China’s aid to Cambodia has been highly recognized by the people in both countries and in the international community. It has achieved political and social gains and provided new momentum to the development of China–Cambodia bilateral relations.

This chapter draws content from the research report A Civil Perspective on China’s Aid to Cambodia conducted by the Shanghai Institutes of International Studies (SIIS), in which the author participated. The author would like to thank SIIS, especially Dr. Zhang Haibing, Director of the World Economy Research Institute, for her contributions.