柬埔寨即将迈向中等收入国家 经济转型面临新挑战

[来源: CIR] [分类提示: NEWS] 标题: Opinion: Cambodia’s Graduation To Middle-Income Status: Preparation & Ownership By H.E. Mrs. Markéta Kolc Hájková, the Czech Ambassador Cambodia is approaching a defining moment in its development journey: the transition from Least Developed Country (LDC) to a Middle-Income Country (MIC). This milestone—often described as “graduation”—is not merely a technical reclassification. It represents a shift in how the country engages with the global economy, finances its development and assumes responsibility for its future. As with any graduation, success will depend less on the formal moment itself and more on the years of preparation leading up to it. For Cambodia, the need to accelerate that preparation is clear. The metaphor of a student finishing school offers a useful lens. For decades, Cambodia has benefited from support measures available to LDCs—preferential trade access, concessional financing, development assistance, and technical support. These have functioned much like supportive teachers or parents: guiding, protecting and helping compensate for structural weaknesses. But just as a student cannot rely indefinitely on such support, a graduating economy cannot depend forever on external assistance. Graduation changes the rules. Once Cambodia transitions, it will operate in a more competitive global environment. Trade preferences may diminish, financing could become more expensive and expectations for governance, productivity and innovation will rise. Like life after