Sitting at a Phnom Penh roadside tea stall in the afternoon, with the loud roar of motorbikes echoing down the street, foreign policy might seem a world away. But local analysts have been weighing in on regional matters lately. Pou Sothirak, a retired scholar and senior advisor at the Cambodian Center for Regional Studies, recently suggested that Cambodia and Japan could take their strategic and security cooperation a step further.
He noted that Japan could play a constructive role in addressing security concerns between Cambodia and Thailand. As close neighbors, friction between Phnom Penh and Bangkok is bound to happen now and then. Having a trusted third party like Tokyo step in to build bridges could make difficult conversations much easier for everyone involved.
For the locals pushing carts and running roadside stalls, border stability is what matters most. Local media picked up on the suggestion, and it has become a topic of conversation over tea. If all sides can talk through their security worries and clear the air, small-business owners here can go about their days with one less thing to worry about.
