In brief
The conference, held in Phnom Penh on 30 October 2026, brought together academic and industry leaders to debate the emerging global order, emphasizing ASEAN cohesion and multilateralism. Speakers highlighted China’s role in maintaining global stability while warning against economic fragmentation. Students and policymakers underscored the importance of cross‑regional understanding and shared leadership to navigate interconnected challenges.
An international forum titled the ‘New World Order’ opened in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Friday, drawing scholars, policymakers and industry leaders to discuss geopolitics, technology, trade and the future role of ASEAN, according to Xinhua.
Conference Themes and Goals
Co‑organized by CamTech University, Sun Yat‑sen University and the China‑ASEAN Studies Center, the one‑day event sought to promote a strategic platform for exchanging insights and navigating emerging challenges. Organizers understressed the importance of ASEAN unity and multilateralism, urging member states to maintain a neutral, inclusive stance for engaging with global powers.
Forum Highlights
Keynote speaker Sok Siphana, a senior Cambodian minister responsible for special missions in multilateral trade, stated that the conference represented a strategic venue for “exchanging insights and navigating the emerging challenges and opportunities defining an increasingly interconnected world.” He underscored that nations must firmly uphold the United Nations Charter while resisting the fragmentation of the global economy and cautioned that indiscriminate decoupling would harm developing nations and entrench adversarial blocs.
The sessions featured two panels. The first examined strategic dynamics for ASEAN and the wider international community, while the second addressed multipolarity, multilateralism and the agency of small states. Panelists highlighted China’s role in maintaining global security and promoting inclusive global governance.
Student perspectives were also highlighted. Him Gek Houn, a first‑year student at CamTech University, said she attended the conference to experience a global forum firsthand and to understand how nations can collectively improve the world.
“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.”
Attendees reported that the forum provided valuable academic and personal insights, and emphasized the value of building reciprocal understanding among diverse backgrounds to strengthen global cooperation.
