US Defense Secretary to visit Cambodia

Secretary Austin will arrive in Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh on June 4 after attending the Shangri-La Dialogue defense forum in Singapore, scheduled to run from May 31 to June 2, according to the Financial Times . In Cambodia, Mr. Austin will meet with Prime Minister Hun Manet, according to the Financial Times , citing three US officials.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at an event at the White House on May 6.

Hun Manet became Prime Minister of Cambodia in August 2023. He graduated from the US Military Academy (West Point) and New York University. Washington hopes that the emergence of a new generation of leaders will push Cambodia to cooperate more closely with the US.

“We remain clear about some of our concerns in Cambodia, but we see the emergence of new leadership as allowing us to explore new opportunities,” the Financial Times quoted a US official as saying.

The planned visit comes amid US concerns about China’s growing presence at Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base. Washington believes Beijing is building a permanent naval base in the strategic location off the coast of the Gulf of Thailand. Those concerns have been heightened by the arrival of two Chinese warships at Ream since December 2023.

What does Cambodia say about Chinese warships present at a base in the southern East Sea?

Cambodia denied the new facility was a Chinese base, saying the Chinese warships were there to participate in joint exercises. The US official said Washington would continue to raise concerns about the new facility.

On the other hand, another US official said Washington also saw an opportunity to cooperate more closely with Cambodia as China increasingly spent less money on its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). "Over the past few years, and especially since the Covid-19 pandemic, funding for the BRI has dried up. Cambodia is one of the countries that feels the most difficulty," the US official said.

There is currently no information about the reaction of Cambodia or China to the comments of the two US officials mentioned above.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bo-truong-quoc-phong-my-sap-tham-campuchia-185240525204846116.htm