Resilience and Investment Potential of Cambodia and ASEAN Highlighted at Business Summit 2026

The opening ceremony of the Cambodia–ASEAN Business Summit (CABS) 2026 took place on March 4 at the Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra, under the presidency of Prime Minister Hun Manet.

This year's summit focused on the theme of “ASEAN Transformation: Innovation, Integration, and Industrial Evolution”, with the aim of highlighting the region's role as a global growth hub. 

In his opening remarks, Prime Minister Hun Manet affirmed that Cambodia is committed to “a pro-business agenda that minimises friction and maximises speed to market”, and to positioning itself as a strategic partner among ASEAN member countries.

“Cambodia complements regional industrial bases by offering a seamless extension of the regional supply chain,” he said. “Since joining ASEAN in 1999, we have aggressively dismantled trade barriers and modernised our customs and logistics frameworks.” 

He added: 

We recognise that, in the business world, efficiency is the ultimate currency. To that end, the Royal Government of Cambodia offers 100 per cent foreign ownership, and is digitising the regulatory and approval environment.

Despite the current global context of conflict and geopolitical uncertainty, the Prime Minister stressed that Cambodia’s economy remains robust, recording a growth of 5.2 per cent in 2025, with solid growth projected to continue in the medium-term.   

Reflecting on the unique opportunities ASEAN provides, the Prime Minister underlined the region’s goal to become the fourth-largest economy in the world by 2045, and a rising interest from international investors in the region. 

“While globally, foreign direct investment (FDI) decreased by 11 per cent, in the opposite report, ASEAN saw 8.5 per cent growth, worth USD 226 billion,” said Prime Minister Hun Manet, attributing this resilience to regional integration and the harmonisation of physical and digital infrastructure.

Neak Oknha Kith Meng, President of the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce and Chair of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) Cambodia, also emphasised ASEAN’s strength as lying upon its core values of openness, neutrality and centrality.

“We are witnessing a period of enhanced strategic competition between major powers, where ASEAN increasingly finds itself navigating pressures arising from tensions between these powers,” said Kith Meng. “The importance of ASEAN has never been greater. Our collective task is to preserve ASEAN as a stabilising force—one that reinforces dialogue, keeps markets connected, and ensures that economic co-operation is controlled by fairness, transparency, and mutual respect.”

Jose Ma. A. Concepcion III, Chair of ASEAN-BAC 2026, further shared that the Philippine Chairship this year plans to advance a vision of shared prosperity across four key pillars (4Ps): 

• People: Focusing particularly on MSMEs, women, youth and human capital development;
• Planet: Including green transition, climate resilience, and food security;
• Platform: Accelerating digital infrastructure interoperability and cross-border connectivity – linking payment systems, customs platforms, logistics data, and digital identities across ASEAN;
• Productivity (competitiveness): Moving from isolated national strategies to coordinated regional ecosystems.

“ASEAN is home to more than 680 million people. If each of them has a pathway to participate in growth—whether as a worker, an entrepreneur, or an innovator—then ASEAN will not simply adapt to global change. We will shape it,” said Concepcion.

“Like the Philippines, Cambodia’s story shows that transformation is possible. ASEAN’s collective story shows that integration works. Our responsibility as business leaders is to ensure that growth translates into dignity, stability, and hope for our people,” he concluded.