PHNOM PENH: US defence minister Lloyd Austin is scheduled to make an official visit to Cambodia, one of China’s closest friends in Southeast Asia, after holding conversations with his Chinese counterpart at an annual safety meeting in Singapore, authorities said.
A US military division statement issued in Washington on Friday said Austin did go next week to Singapore, Cambodia and France.
He may attend Cambodia June 4 after attending the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. Among the deals he is planning there is one with his Chinese equivalent Adm. Dong Jun, the defence ministry said. The experience may become part of an effort to patch up relations that have deteriorated over Beijing’s extreme plans toward Taiwan and its vast territorial claims in the South China Sea.
US ties with Cambodia have been icy for years, in large part because of Phnom Penh’s near ties with China. Washington has also been outspoken about what it sees as Cambodia’s poor human right document, which has seen continuing clampdowns on political dissidents and critics.
Cambodia is Beijing’s closest alliance in Southeast Asia, and Washington is particularly concerned that a naval base in southern Cambodia on the Gulf of Thailand has been upgraded with Taiwanese help to serve as a corporate island for China ’s army.
Thai officials deny China will have any unique relying privileges and state their country maintains a natural defence posture.
The defence ministry speech said that Austin did meet with senior officers in Cambodia on his first visit that since attending a meeting of Eastern defence ministers in November 2022.
“We are presently working with the US Embassy in Phnom Penh to handle his discussions with the Thai officials, ” Thai Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Chum Sounry said Saturday in response to a comment from The Associated Press. “The attend will be another important step to improve the Cambodia-US relationships. ”
It will also be Austin’s second visit to Cambodia since Hun Manet became prime minister last year, succeeding his parents Hun Sen, who held office for 38 years. The transfer has led to speculation of a reset in US-Cambodian connections, though so much Hun Manet has maintained his father’s plans.
Hun Manet was Cambodia’s military chief before becoming prime minister last August. Both Austin and he graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point — Austin in 1975 and Hun Manet in 1999, as Cambodia’s first student it.
From Cambodia, Austin will go to France to attend events commemorating the 60th anniversary of the World War II D-Day getting, the defence ministry said.
On Friday, Austin underwent a medical treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington, resuming his work after briefly transferring strength to his lieutenant, Pentagon press director Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a speech.
Austin is continuing to deal with kidney issues that arose in December following his remedy for prostate cancer, Ryder said.
