The United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is set to travel to Cambodia on Tuesday to promote the reestablishment of relations with the country. As the US seeks to strengthen ties with Cambodia, one of the most enthusiastic allies of China in Southeast Asia, concerns have been growing over the deepening security and economic relations between China and Cambodia, as well as China’s expansion of the Ream Naval Base in Cambodia.
According to reports from Bloomberg, two unnamed US officials stated that Austin’s visit will include meetings with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and other senior officials. Hun Manet, who graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point and New York University, took over as Prime Minister last August after his father Hun Sen’s nearly forty years in power, continuing to rely on Beijing’s infrastructure projects to support Cambodia’s economy.
This marks the first visit to this Mekong River country by the Pentagon’s top official since 2022. At the moment, Beijing is redeploying a strategic naval base in the country, leading to heightened tensions between the US and China. The US claims that the base will become China’s first overseas outpost in the Indo-Pacific region, but Cambodia has repeatedly denied this accusation, stating that any permanent foreign presence would violate Cambodia’s constitution.
A US official indicated that Austin’s visit is expected to facilitate dialogue between the US and Cambodia on building closer defense ties. Another US official mentioned that the US remains concerned about the Yunlong Naval Base (Ream Naval Base) associated with China and human rights issues.
In recent years, China has been actively wooing Cambodia, not only through infrastructure projects under the Belt and Road Initiative but also by enhancing military cooperation and conducting joint military exercises, aiming to expand its influence in the Southeast Asian region.
Sovinda Po, Director of the Southeast Asia Studies Center at the Institute for International Studies and Public Policy at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, believes that the new Cambodian government now has the opportunity to improve relations with the United States.
Po stated, “As long as Washington does not insist on us abandoning our close relationship with China, Cambodia can move closer to the United States.”
According to Cambodian government data, under Hun Manet’s leadership, Cambodia continues to heavily rely on Beijing, with China accounting for two-thirds of the $4.92 billion in foreign direct investment the country attracted last year.
Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sok Chenda Sophea visited Beijing last month and, during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, requested increased Chinese investment in economic zones. The two sides also discussed strengthening defense cooperation.
Following his attendance at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Austin will head to Cambodia. In his speech at the forum, he praised Washington’s efforts to enhance various partnership relations with countries in the region to counter Beijing’s threats. While he informed political and defense leaders that US-China relations are improving, tensions persist between the two countries on issues such as Taiwan, trade, and the South China Sea dispute.
Earlier this year, Chinese warships made a rare visit to the Yunlong Naval Base in Cambodia located in the Gulf of Thailand. Last month, Cambodia and China held the first live-fire joint exercises near the base called “Golden Dragon 2024,” including the deployment of Chinese-made robot dogs equipped with assault rifles. The US’s concerns over Beijing’s military presence in Cambodia have once again come to the forefront.
Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Tea Seiha claimed at the Shangri-La Dialogue attended by Austin over the weekend that there is nothing to hide regarding the issue of the Yunlong Naval Base.