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US vies to reset Cambodia ties with Pentagon chief’s visit to China ally
- US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin landed in Phnom Penh for a one-day visit on Tuesday en route from the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore
- He first met Hun Sen – who ruled over Cambodia for nearly four decades – and is also meeting Prime Minister Hun Manet, who took over from his father
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Visiting US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said he had a productive day of meetings with Cambodia’s leaders on Tuesday, which included substantive conversations on ways to strengthen defence relations between the two countries.
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Austin made the remarks on social media platform X. He met Cambodian counterpart Tea Seiha, Prime Minister Hun Manet, and the leader’s father and current Senate President Hun Sen, who was premier for nearly four decades
Washington’s relationship with the Southeast Asian nation has been deteriorating for years, with China pouring in billions of dollars in infrastructure investments under Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen.
The United States has voiced concerns over a key Cambodian naval base that is being upgraded by Beijing, which it says could be used to boost the Asian giant’s influence in the Gulf of Thailand.
En route from the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Austin landed in Phnom Penh on Tuesday for the one-day visit.
Cambodian foreign ministry spokesman Chum Sounry told reporters last week that Austin’s visit would be “another good chance to advance ties and relations of the two countries”.
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