Former Prime Minister Hun Sen, president of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), shared his pleasure at China’s efforts to broker a ceasefire in Ukraine. By so doing, he believes China is setting a good example for others to follow.

Hun Sen, who also serves as chairman of the Supreme Privy Council to the King, made the remarks while addressing the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference 2024, held in China’s Hainan province on March 28, with the theme: “Asia and the World: Common Challenges, Shared Responsibilities”.

He noted that many parts of the world are still experiencing conflict, which has seriously impacted innocent civilians, as well as the economy and international trade.

“The war in Ukraine has entered its third year and unfortunately, the light of peace is still elusive.  The Israel-Hamas war continues to result in casualties,” he said.

“We believe China’s efforts to speed up negotiations and broker a peace deal in Ukraine are an excellent example for the world. Similar action should be undertaken in areas of the world which are devastated by wars and conflicts,” he added.

He said an emphasis on technological and industrial innovations, especially through the development of new production forces and placing importance on contexts and sustainability, showed that China tried to focus on factors of quality rather than achieve absolute growth.

He added that the region and the world alike are pleased that China continues to implement open economic and trade policies and demonstrates a deep commitment to building a community of common destiny for mankind, through the promotion of globalisation that benefits common development for all.

“Our region also has several points of contention. They could become flashpoints for tension if Asian leaders do not consult each other and communicate well to resolve their differences responsibly,” he continued.

“My concern now is that the geopolitical landscape still includes economic decline or sectoral crises in some countries,” he explained.

He noted that democratic elections often became a chance to make too many promises. A review of current supply chain structures failed to encourage prosperity and the transfer of technology in an open, non-discriminatory and equal manner, but rather a small group of countries want to weaken other nations.

“Our collective responsibility in Asia is to maintain peace and security, to ensure that the results of alleviating poverty will not regress, and to improve development for common prosperity,” he said.

He noted that the region has achieved remarkable development and played the role of the world’s economic engine, especially during difficult times of economic recession in the last three decades.

Chey Tech, an independent socio-economic analyst, viewed the speech as very positive, saying that the world of today needs the participation of many, as many conflicts have broken out. It will require many nations to find solutions to current problems.

“The role of China, both economically and militarily, in resolving other ongoing conflicts in the world has been recognised internationally,” he said.

He noted that China is currently playing a role in mediating the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, and expressed hope that the war would come to an end soon.

Yang Peou, secretary-general of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, opined that the role of an international coordinator is of great importance.

“Any country that can mediate an end to the war in Ukraine will not just be salvaging Ukraine and its people but also the world,” he said.

“China is the largest superpower after the US. Therefore, China could play an important role. It has a good relationship with Russia in general and president Vladimir Putin in particular, as well as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This is why China is ideally suited to broker a ceasefire,” he added.