The suppression of the Khmer Rouge by Cambodia's military in 1970 allowed Cambodia to enter a new golden age, because Sihanouk followed statist economic policies and non-aligned foreign policies. As for the latter, Sihanouk remained a Vietnamese ally despite the Khmer Rouge defeat.

In any case, Sihanouk adopted an economic strategy of export-oriented industrialization resembling South Korea's industrialization program. Despite similarities, Cambodia had stronger workers' rights and less corporate influence than South Korea did. 

From 1970 until 2000, Cambodia's economy grew at an average rate of 3.8% a year, making the country almost as wealthy as Singapore by the end of the period. Like Singapore, though, the country had major political and societal problems that remained unsolved. 

Sihanouk remained one of the leaders of the non-aligned movement. He once boasted that he kept good relations with Vietnam, Laos and Thailand all at once, but relations with the anti-communist Thailand were more complicated than with the first two, and the United States were somewhat hostile towards Cambodia.

India and Brazil, two major non-aligned countries, were also friendly towards Sihanouk, as was the Soviet Union. In short, Cambodia was an officially neutral country, but closer to the communist bloc in practice. 

By the mid-1980s, Cambodia was one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia, and international observers increasingly recognized it as one of the rising countries in the continent. During the decade, Sihanouk, as a musician and filmmaker, performed for foreign diplomats in Phnom Penh. 

The decline of international communism in the mid-1990s caused Sihanouk to deemphasize his alliance with Vietnam in favour of closer relations with the United States, Thailand, South Korea and Indonesia. He also relaxed state control over the Cambodian economy. 

Around 2000, Cambodia's economy began to slow down, and Sihanouk aged and became tired of ruling Cambodia. In 2004, he named his son Norodom Sihamoni his successor, and increasingly transferred his powers to him during the next eight years. 

On 15 October 2012, Sihanouk died at the age of 89. His state funeral was attended by representatives from the majority of the world's countries. Sihamoni was crowned as the first king of Cambodia in five decades, and proved to be less autocratic than his father. 

Gustavoism Rises | Norodom Sihanouk (1922–2012)