PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with Cambodian officials on Tuesday to discuss the possible resumption of joint military exercises, signaling the beginning of a thaw in relations that have been strained over Cambodia’s growing rapprochement with China.
According to the Pentagon, Austin met with Defense Minister Tea Seyh, Prime Minister Hun Manet and Senate President Hun Sen, whose father is former prime minister Hun Manet.
Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement that the officials discussed ways to strengthen defense ties to support regional peace and security, including through military training exchanges, resuming mine-clearance training and Cambodian participation in U.S. military education programs.
Hun Manet said in a Telegram message that he and Austin discussed ways to resume cooperation, including Cambodia’s access to U.S. military education programs and joint military exercises between the two countries.
Cambodia, China’s closest ally in Southeast Asia, canceled joint military exercises with the United States in 2017.
Relations between the United States and Cambodia have been chilly for many years, primarily due to the country’s close ties with China, particularly the Chinese military presence at the Cambodian naval base in the Gulf of Thailand, which has been strengthened with Chinese support. Washington has also been a vocal critic of Cambodia’s human rights record, including the ongoing crackdown on political dissidents and critics.
Cambodian officials deny that China has any special basing privileges and say the country maintains a neutral defence posture.
Austin arrived from Singapore, where Shangri-La Defense Forum And the US and China Gradually repair With tensions rising between the two countries in the Indo-Pacific region, communication lines between the two militaries could be crucial.
This visit was a great opportunity for Austin. Hun Manet Manet became prime minister last year, succeeding his father Hun Sen after 38 years in the post, and while there has been speculation that the change in government could signal a reset in Cambodia’s relations with the United States, so far Hun Manet has maintained his father’s policies.
Hun Manet was commander of the Cambodian army before becoming prime minister in August last year. Both Austin and Manet graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point, Austin in 1975 and Hun Manet in 1999 as Cambodia’s first officer cadet.
Austin also met Tuesday with Cambodian graduates of a U.S. military education program.
From Cambodia, Defense Secretary Austin will travel to France to attend events marking the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings during World War II, according to the Pentagon.
