In brief
The conference, co‑organized by CamTech University, Sun Yat‑sen University and the China‑ASEAN Studies Center, brought together scholars, policymakers and industry leaders for two panels on ASEAN strategy and multipolarity. Cambodian minister Sok Siphana delivered a keynote urging UN Charter principles, resisting economic fragmentation and strengthening ASEAN unity, while attendees, including a student from CamTech, noted the value of inclusive dialogue.
An international conference on the "New World Order" opened Friday in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where scholars, policymakers and industry leaders gathered for discussions on geopolitics, technology, trade and ASEAN unity.
The forum, co‑organized by the Cambodia University of Technology and Science (CamTech University), Sun Yat‑sen University and the China‑ASEAN Studies Center, lasted one day and featured two panel discussions: the first examined strategic dynamics for ASEAN and the wider international community; the second addressed multipolarity, multilateralism and small‑state agency.
Kicking off the event, Cambodian senior minister Sok Siphana, in charge of special missions for multilateral trade and economic affairs, delivered a keynote address. He said the conference “serves as a strategic platform to exchange insights and navigate the emerging challenges and opportunities defining an increasingly interconnected world.” He urged nations to firmly uphold the United Nations Charter as the bedrock of international society while resisting the fragmentation of the global economy. He warned that indiscriminate decoupling would impoverish developing countries and solidify adversarial blocs, and he called on ASEAN member states to strengthen the bloc’s unity to remain a neutral, inclusive platform for global powers.
Panelists highlighted China’s role in maintaining global security, stability, and development, while actively promoting multilateralism and inclusive global governance.
Him Gek Houn, a first‑year student at CamTech University, attended the conference to experience a global forum and learn how nations can collectively improve the global landscape. “I learned that to truly come together and improve our world, we need to understand our neighbors' perspectives and cultures,” she told Xinhua. “While we have different backgrounds, we still share the same planet. Therefore, we should come together on the basis of equality.”
