Terekhov Danila

Peculiarities of Interaction between the German Democratic Republic and the People's Republic of Kampuchea (based on GDR media)

ЮГО-ВОСТОЧНАЯ АЗИЯ: АКТУАЛЬНЫЕ ПРОБЛЕМЫ РАЗВИТИЯ, 2026, №1(70), 361-377

 
Annotation: Based on material from leading print publications of the German Democratic Republic (Neues Deutschland, Berliner Zeitung, Neue Zeit), previously unutilised by the Russian-speaking academic community, this article examines the nature of the GDR’s interaction with the People’s Republic of Kampuchea between 1979 and 1989. It analyses the transformation of Cambodia’s image in the East German media: from a victim of the ‘Khmer Rouge’ regime to a socialist state risen from the ruins and an equal partner. The study identifies the key attitudes that shaped the nature of the publications, as well as the specific features of the coverage of the GDR’s humanitarian, economic and military-political aid. Particular attention is paid to the influence of the international context of the Cold War, the Sino-Soviet split and the processes of Perestroika on changes in the rhetoric and content of the publications. It is concluded that the East German press served as an important instrument in shaping the image of the People’s Republic of Kampuchea and legitimising both its government and the GDR’s foreign policy course, whilst simultaneously emphasising humanitarian issues.

Keywords: German Democratic Republic, GDR, People's Republic of Kampuchea, PRK, Khmer Rouge, Cambodia, USSR, China, Vietnam, communists, socialist bloc, ideology, international relations