NVDB005_-_CH_4.001._The_Global_Gateway_Initiative_-_Vichny-2

71 — DP Vol. 05

Regional Security Dilemma: Trends, Directions, and Illusion

Introduction

The first two decades of the 21st century have made it manifestly clear that the digital realm is in many ways where mankind’s course in the times to come will be decided. This is a fact that the Kingdom of Cambodia is increasingly forced to confront as it aspires to be a hub of progress and development in Southeast Asia. While a more pronounced digital footprint is necessarily dependent on collaboration beyond any one nation’s borders, the choice among potential international partners that Phnom Penh faces is far from simple. In that sense, the domain of technology, not unlike many other fundamental sectors in the region, is vulnerable to the long-standing and intense rivalry between two of the great powers of our age, namely the United States and China. Regardless of the extensive expertise and abundant resources that both countries have to offer, picking one over the other is more than likely to have adverse diplomatic and economic implications for Cambodia as a result of a retaliation on the part of the losing side. The Kingdom’s digital sphere readily illus- trates this trend - Washington and Beijing are currently embroiled in a fierce competition for dominance in this field. They do so by actively promoting platforms and networks of their own design (such as the Digital Silk Road and the Digital Connectivity and Cybersecurity Partnership) and actively undermining and criticizing each other’s efforts 1.

In light of this unenviable balancing act, researchers have suggested that there is in fact a “third way” that can be sought as a way to mitigate the dilemma of being torn between the two shores of the Pacific 2 - a

1 https://www.globalasia.org/v16no4/cover/us-china-rivalry-and- digital-connectivity-in-the-indo-pacific_miyeon-oh; https://www. usaid.gov/digital-development/digital-connectivity-cybersecurity- partnership

2 https://cicp.org.kh/publications/facilitating-multilateralism-eu- cambodia-asean-dialogue/

policy of broader cooperation with the European Union (EU). The rationale behind this argument insists that the 27-state bloc has no ambitions to be a hegemon in the Far East but is rather pursuing mostly economic interests through productive exchanges with friendly nations. Therefore, it follows that neither Washington nor Beijing would be as antagonized by a Cambodian effort to increase engagement with the EU (both are vital trading partners of the organization, after all) as they would if Phnom Penh settled on one of them. Furthermore, recent years have shown that the EU is displaying a greater willingness to support and expand its partnerships throughout Asia in a mutually beneficial and sustainable manner. Brussels’ recent announcement of the Global Gateway Initiative (GGI), a multi-billion euro transcontinental investment platform centered around resilience and capaci- ty-building via equitable standards and practices is a testament to that fact 3. The following article will briefly summarize the key provisions on digital development that the GGI incorporates and subsequently attempt to apply them to the particularities and issues in Cambodia that bear relevance in this crucial context. This will demonstrate why joint activity with the EU under the initiative can be highly beneficial for Phnom Penh in both the short and long term. Finally, some recommendations detailing potential next steps for Cambodia’s officials vis-à-vis the GGI will be offered along with a discussion of the likely challenges they will face.

3 https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/stronger- europe-world/global-gateway_en

Vichny Chanchem graduated from the Department of International Relations of Paragon International University in 2021. Currently, she is pursuing her Master's Degree in International Economics and Public Policy at Universität Trier, Germany. She is also a research intern at the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace (CICP) and the Vice-President of The SEED Cambodia, a digital knowledge-sharing platform on Politics, Economics, and Law.

Peter Bozakov is a postgraduate student of the University of Trier currently pursuing a Master's degree in European and East Asian Governance. He has attained a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations with first- class honors at the University of Lancaster in the United Kingdom. He has cultivated an interest in the policy- making of the European Union following his time at the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Atlantic Club of Bulgaria.