(W.E. Talk) Mey Kalyan: China will always be an important participant and promoter of global economic development
2024-06-30 Ecns.cn Editor：Jing Yuxin
Mey Kalyan, is the advisor to the Royal Government of Cambodia and senior advisor to the Supreme National Economic Council (SNEC) of Cambodia
By Yang Qiang & Li Haiyue from CNS
As an advisor to the Royal Government of Cambodia and senior advisor to the Supreme National Economic Council (SNEC)of Cambodia, Mey Kalyan firmly believes that no matter how the international situation evolves, China will always be a stabilizer, an important participant and promoter of global economic development.
The senior economist, who had served in an FAO/WB cooperative program for 20 years, pointed out in a recent interview with China News Service W.E.Talk that China plays a pivotal role in promoting global economic recovery. He noted that the “ChineseSolutions” will continue to yield positive results for developing countries. He also shared his views and insights on how Cambodia, other participating countries, and China can consolidate their achievements in the Belt and Road construction, explore new cooperation areas, and move toward mutual benefits and prosperity.
Here are excerpts from the interview:
CNS: How do you see China’s development since its reform and opening up? What enlightenment can developing countries gain from China’s success?
Mey Kalyan:I studied in Japan from 1974 to 1984. It was a period around the time when China started its reform and opening-up. Through study and research, I gain a certain understanding of the situation in China at that time. China’s reform and opening up was a big event in world history. Not everyone was aware of its significance at the time, but unarguably it has exerted far-reaching influence on the global economy.
The reform and opening-up laid the foundation for today’s earth-shaking changes in China. I worked with an FAO/WB cooperative program for more than 20 years. During those years, I visited China many times, and every time I was greatly surprised by the new changes taking place in the country and astounded by the row upon row of high-rise buildings and the extensive transportation network.
The impact of China’s development on the world is profound. For Cambodia and other developing countries, the success of China’s reform and opening up and its development experience have given us great encouragement and confidence. At the same time, it has also proved to the underdeveloped or less-developed countries and regions in Asia, Africa, and Latin America that developing countries can achieve economic prosperity through hard work as long as they stick to the right development path.
The development path of China is distinctly different from those of Western countries. In the process of development, the Western countries often relied on colonialism. By occupying other countries, they completed primitive capital accumulation and realized their own economic development. However, China chose a different path by offering developing countries“Chinese solutions”. Its development mode is much more respectful and cooperative.
CNS: What’s the role of China in the current world economic development? Some politicians and media in Western countries are bad-mouthing China’s economy and questioning China’s economic development. What do you think about it?
Mey Kalyan: There is no doubt that China’s development has a profound impact on the global economy. As a stabilizer, China has always been an important participant and promoter of the global economy because of its large population, huge market, and close ties with countries around the world. Connectivity is a core feature of China’s economy. The proposal and development of the Belt and Road Initiative have strengthened the ties between China and the participating countries, making the connectivity a unique one.
Meanwhile, China is also one of the world’s largest manufacturing centers, and people around the world are deeply impressed by its high-quality and inexpensive products. China’s target of 5% GDP growth in 2024 is very reasonable and in line with the law of economics. We should see the underlying logic behind the figure. As the world’s second-largest economy, China slows down its economic growth. This is in accordance with the current development trend. Besides, the figure is fairly considerable compared with many developed countries.
China has promoted the connectivity among countries around the world through its active participation in international cooperation and a series of cooperation measures such as the Belt and Road Initiative. China’s contribution to global trade and economic growth should be duly recognized and respected.
Some voices questioning China’s economy and its development. Part of them result from geopolitics and ideological differences, information dissemination bias and misunderstanding. In response to these doubts, I think that China should continue to adhere to its development path, maintain an open and inclusive attitude, and strengthen communication and cooperation with other countries. At the same time, it should also strengthen information dissemination to enhance the international community’s understanding of China.
CNS: How do you understand the “Chinese modernization”? What features does it have in common with Cambodian modernization?
Mey Kalyan:The most important feature of “Chinese modernization” is solidarity, which means the people reach a consensus and the whole country works together to promote national development. As a major power with a long history, China can mobilize all its people to pursue a common goal, in which the right direction is essential because it is the foundation of development. Chinese modernization takes root in advanced development concepts and embodies the leadership of the Chinese government and national cohesion.
Cambodia differs greatly from China in terms of economic size and natural endowments, and therefore, there are many differences in the development paths of these two countries. Nonetheless, the two countries have long-standing historical ties and traditional friendship. They share the same Asian cultural background: Chinese traditional culture advocates Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, while Cambodia is a Buddhist country. Both countries emphasize cooperation rather than confrontation, and collectivism rather than Western individualism. This is the ideological foundation for bilateral cooperation and mutual influence of Cambodia and China.
As China has made remarkable achievements in its development, it knows better the problems faced by other developing countries and has accumulated various solutions. Moving forward, Cambodia can draw from China’s success, give full play to second-mover advantage, and learn the “Chinese wisdom” in infrastructure construction, human resources development, and business models.
However, it should be noted that the market sizes and development stages of the two countries are different. Therefore, Cambodia should choose a development path suited to its national conditions rather than copying the Chinese model down to the last detail.
CNS: What tangible benefits has the Belt and Road Initiative brought to the participating countries and their people? What is your outlook on the next stage of China-Cambodia cooperation?
Mey Kalyan: Cambodia is a good neighbor of China, and the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative by the two countries has brought significant changes to Cambodia. For example, the hydropower station built by China and many “small yet smart” programs assisted by China have improved the living conditions of the Cambodian people, and the construction of highways, bridges, and airports has enhanced Cambodia’s domestic and international connectivity. All this provides strong support for Cambodia’s economic growth.
From a macro perspective, the Belt and Road Initiative includes huge infrastructure construction projects. It plays a positive role in promoting the long-term economic and social development of the participating countries and contributes to their domestic, regional, and international economic, trade, and cultural exchanges and cooperation.
The joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative has also promoted the exchanges and cooperation between Cambodia and China at the level of human resources and technical thought. The Chinese government provides scholarships for Cambodian students to study in China every year, and an increasing number of Cambodian students are now studying in China. At the same time, I myself and many friends around are learning Chinese. Mastering the language is the first step to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with China.
In the future, the two countries can cooperate in cutting-edge areas such as scientific and technological innovation and digital economy. There is still large room for both sides to cooperate in digital finance and artificial intelligence. As an economist and user of technological products, I must emphasize that technological ethics are required to steer technological development in the right direction. How to make technology better improve the quality of human life is an issue that needs us to explore together.
I have full confidence in the future of Cambodia’s cooperation with China in the Belt and Road construction. Cambodia will actively learn from the “Chinese solutions” and strive to realize national modernization and achieve the goals of economic development. At the same time, Cambodia will continue to make due contributions to the high-quality Belt and Road construction, share the fruits of development with China and other participating countries, and seek common development and prosperity.
CNS: What are the major achievements since the implementation of the Cambodia-China Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)? How can the two countries use the policy dividends released by CCFTA and RCEP to promote bilateral and multilateral economic and trade cooperation?
Mey Kalyan: For Cambodia and other ASEAN countries, China is a big market. The implementation of CCFTA has lowered trade barriers, promoted the free flow of goods and services between Cambodia and China, and increased bilateral trade volume. The CCFTA and RCEP have opened a door for bilateral and multilateral economic and trade cooperation, further enhanced economic ties between ASEAN member states and China as well as other countries, and provided new impetus for the development of regional economic integration.
Facing the vast Chinese market, Cambodia needs to think about how to create more and better export products. In the future, the two countries can continue to strengthen trade facilitation, reduce trade barriers, simplify procedures, and improve efficiency. The two sides can also strengthen cooperation in innovation, science and technology, talent cultivation, etc., promote in-depth development of bilateral and multilateral economic and trade cooperation, and jointly build an open and inclusive economic system that benefits all.
