Cambodia underlines Asean neutrality during PM’s visit to Marcos

MANILA, Philippines — Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet on Tuesday underscored the importance of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) neutrality in times of conflict.

Hun Manet made this statement during a joint press conference in Malacañang Palace as part of his two-day visit to the country for the first time since assuming office.

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“Cambodia underlines the importance of upholding Asean unity and neutrality especially at times of conflict and geopolitical dynamics,” Hun Manet said in his closing remarks.

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China is Cambodia’s key ally and economic partner, providing millions of dollars in aid and investment, while Phnom Penh backs Beijing in international forums including its ongoing dispute with other Asean countries in the South China Sea.

In 2024, Marcos attended the Asean summit in Laos where the South China Sea issues were brought up.

The text of the President’s speech during a closed-door session in Vientiane stated that Marcos urged Asean member states “not to turn a blind eye to the aggressive, coercive, and illegal actions of an external power against an Asean member state.”

Apart from China and the Philippines, Asean member states such as Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam are also claimants of Spratly Islands inside the South China Sea.

Despite overlapping claims, Manila and Hanoi recently conducted an unprecedented maritime drills in the West Philippine Sea, which saw the practice of water cannon capabilities of both nations.

Maritime features of Spratly inside the western section of the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines—locally known as the West Philippine Sea—are being referred to as the Kalayaan Island Group.

China asserts sovereignty in almost the entire South China Sea, through its now ten-dash-line.

A July 2016 arbitral award which stemmed from a case filed by Manila in 2013 already invalidated Beijing’s then nine-dash-line.

Meanwhile, Hun Manet said Cambodia fully supports the country as it assumes the chairmanship of Asean in 2026.

“I assure President Marcos of Cambodia’s full support,” Hun Manet said.

Manila and Phnom Penh established diplomatic relations on August 20, 1957 and both nations currently have 24 bilateral agreements.