As ASEAN Chair in 2022, Cambodia has navigated through a complex geopolitical environment with the heightened rivalry between China and the United States, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Myanmar crisis. While 2022 saw the return of tourists and foreign investors and the economic outlook looks promising for 2023, there are signs that Cambodia is still recovering from the various effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. For most Cambodians, the year has been dominated by inflationary pressures driven by higher global fuel and fertilizer prices, and economic hardships due to growing risks posed by climate change. These issues work as more or less visible lines of tension and contribute to increasing social and economic inequalities at different scales. Under these conditions, the Government has strengthened state control and stepped up its means of oppression against its critics. Ahead of national elections in 2023, the ruling party has won the local elections in June and has endorsed Prime Minister Hun Sen’s eldest son as the next prime ministerial candidate.