The Autocrat’s New Groove: Cambodia and the New Age of Foreign Aid Diplomacy

Abstract:

In November 2017, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen declared that the US should “cut all aid” funding to Cambodia amid bilateral tensions due to Hun Sen’s growing authoritarianism. Why would an authoritarian leader call for an end to foreign aid when his government’s patronage system relies on funding from abroad? My analysis considers three possible explanations: an anti-US shift in public opinion; influence from China, Cambodia’s top foreign investor; and a novel theory I call ham sandwich diplomacy. Using interview sources, journalistic sources, foreign funding databases, and NGO reports, I conclude that there was neither a notable spike in anti-US sentiment nor convincing evidence that China exhibits enough influence over Cambodian politics to affect the US–Cambodia aid relationship so significantly. Public opinion and Chinese investment remain important in understanding Hun Sen’s actions, however. I conclude that due to Cambodia’s relative weakness and Hun Sen’s growing unpopularity, the prime minister employed a type of bandwagoning dubbed ham sandwich diplomacy to capitalize on U.S. fears of a China-aligned Cambodia. By denouncing US funding, Hun Sen scared the US into giving him more funding with decreased emphasis on democratization. This single-case study builds theory on how small powers may operate under competing larger powers.