Cambodia in 2023 and 2024

The end of 2024 marked the first full calendar year in power for Cambodia’s new prime minister, Hun Manet. Manet inherited the position from his father, Hun Sen, in August 2023, fulfilling long-standing expectations of a dynastic succession within the Hun family. Questions remain about the balance of power between Manet and his father, who continues to wield significant influence. Internationally, Cambodia has sought to maintain its political and economic ties with China at the same time as tentatively improving relations with the United States and other countries. However, its international relations were strained by its centrality to Southeast’s Asia’s online scam epidemic. The economy showed signs of a post-pandemic recovery, but challenges remain, including the contraction of the Chinese economy, global inflation, and domestic struggles in important sectors like tourism and construction, as well as a growing personal debt crisis that could pose economic and political challenges in the future.