Chhon warned would be an "inflationary spiral and monetary wildness". The international recognition of the 1998 Cambodian general election under the supervision of the National Election Committee headed by Chheng Phon contributed to this normalization of international recognition of the government of Cambodia. Spreading English in Cambodia While Cambodia is a member of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, and while Keat Chhon had been closer to China at an earlier stage of his life, he encouraged the move of government institutions towards the use of English as lingua franca insisting the staff "need to know three or four foreign languages" with "English [being] the first priority. From Chinese communism to a free-market economy Along with many survivors of his generation, Keat Chhon championed the transition of the Cambodian economy from a centralized communist economy on the Chinese maoist model to a free-market economy. This move was not merely practical but quite conscious, as Keat Chhon increasingly defended the rule of law: Honors Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (2017) Honorary Doctorate in Development Economics from the University of Cambodia (2005) Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration, Charles Sturt University (2003) References Bibliography Aun Porn Moniroth, Keat Chhon, and Vongsey Vissoth. Managing the Challenges of Globalization. January 1998, Economics and Finance Institute, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Aun Porn Moniroth and Keat Chhon, Economic Development in Cambodia in the ASEAN context: policies and strategies, 1998, Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. 1934 births Members of the National Assembly (Cambodia) Cambodian People's Party politicians Finance ministers of Cambodia Living people People from Kratié province Grand Cordons of the Order of the Rising Sun