Book Review: Far East: Cambodia's Foreign Policy
| Author | J. M. Beauroy |
| DOI | 10.1177/002070206602100335 |
| Published date | 01 September 1966 |
| Date | 01 September 1966 |
| Subject Matter | Book Review |
398
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL
to
eliminate
any
cause
for
it.
The
same
is
true
essentially
for
Cambodia,
Nepal
and
Pakistan,
countries
that
go
out
of
their
way
not
to
provoke
their
powerful
neighbour
to
the
north.
Pakistan,
of
course,
has
a
par
ticular
reason
to
be
friendly
to China,
which
is
considered
in
Rawalpindi
as
a
valuable ally
in
the
dispute
with
India.
Writing
on
Canadian
policy
John
Holmes
says
that
Ottawa's
original intention
was,
without
undue
haste
and
after
attention
to
formalities,
to
recognize
Peking.
This
plan
would
have
been
fulfilled
but
for
the outbreak
of
the
Korean
war
in
June,
1950.
Mr.
Holmes,
who
was
closely
connected
with
foreign
policy-making
in
Ottawa
before
becoming
Director
General
of
the
Canadian
Institute
of
Inter-
national
Affairs,
explains
with
great
clarity
why
neither
Liberal
nor
Tory Governments
have
risked
American
anger
by
extending
recogni-
tion
to
Peking.
He
says
the
Canadian
public would
like
to
follow
the
French
example
of
recognizing
Peking-without
a
formal
acknowledge-
ment
of
Communist claims
to
Taiwan.
But
the realities
of
U.S.-Canadian
ties
are
more
vital.
Ottawa
will
not
recognize
Peking,
Mr.
Holmes
predicts,
unless
it
can
mimmize
the
ill
effects
such
a
step
would
have
on
the
United
States.
The
causes
of
this
persistent
dilemma-the
war
in
Vietnam,
the
dispute
over
Formosa,
Peking's
refusal
to
practice
genuine
peaceful
coexistence
with
ideological
enemies-remain.
And
Ottawa
hopes
that
somehow a
solution to
the
China
riddle
will
be
found
in
the
United
Nations.
Despite
the
obvious
impatience
of
the
public,
the
press
and,
in
fact,
not a
few
politicians,
Ottawa
doubtless feels
it
can
afford
to
maintain
the
safe,
rather
timid,
wait-and-see
attitude
until
history
comes
up
with
an
acceptable
answer.
Toronto
FREDERICK
NoSSAL
CAMBODIA'S
FOREIGN
POLICY.
By
Roger
M.
Smith.
1965.
(Ithaca,
N.Y..
Cornell
Umversity
Press.
x,
273pp.
$5.75)
This
book,
prepared
under
the
auspices
of
the
Southeast
Asia
programme
of Cornell
University underlines
the
realism
of
the
policy
of
neutrality
followed
by
Cambodia
since
1955,
under
the
leadership
of
Prince
Norodom
Sihanouk.
The Cambodian
chief
of
State
succeeded
in consolidating
the
independence of his
country
from
the
always
threatening
influence of
the
great
powers.
He
was able
to
reinforce
the internal
stability
of
Cambodia
and
defend
its
territorial
integrity
against
the
encroachments
of
its
traditional
enemies.
Neutrality
also
allowed
Cambodia
to
play
an
important
diplomatic role,
joining
the
United
Nations
in
1955,
and
to
receive
aid
from
both
Western
and
Communist
powers.
But
Professor
Roger
Smith's
work
emphasizes,
essentially
the
difficulties
encountered
by Cambodia
in
its
relations
with
the
United
States.
The
United
States,
through
its
alliance and
commitments
in
Southeast
Asia,
and
through its strictly
anti-communist
and
anti-Chinese
stand,
could
not
encourage and
guarantee
Cambodian
neutrality
Roger
Smith
in
his
detailed
study
clearly
illustrates
how
the
United
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