World News | US Defence Secretary Meets Cambodian Officials to Push for Stronger Ties with Chinese Ally

Phnom Penh (Cambodia), Jun 4 (AP) US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin met with Cambodian officials on Tuesday to discuss a possible resumption of joint military exercises, suggesting the beginning of a thaw in relations between the countries that have been strained over Cambodia's growing closeness with China.

Austin met with Defence Minister Tea Seiha, Prime Minister Hun Manet and Senate President Hun Sen, the Pentagon said. Hun Sen, the former prime minister, is Hun Manet's father.

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The officials discussed ways to strengthen defence ties in support of regional peace and security, including through a resumption of military training exchanges, de-mining training, and Cambodian participation in U.S. military education programs, Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement.

Hun Manet said on Telegram that he and Austin discussed ways to resume cooperation, including Cambodian access to US military education programs and joint military exercises between the countries.

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Cambodia, which is China's closest ally in Southeast Asia, halted joint military exercises with the US in 2017.

US relations with Cambodia have been frosty for years, in large part because of its close ties with China, and particularly China's military presence at a Cambodian navy base in the Gulf of Thailand that has been upgraded with Beijing's assistance.

Washington has also been vocal about Cambodia's human rights record, including continuing clampdowns on political dissidents and critics.

Cambodian officials deny that China will have any special basing privileges and say their country maintains a neutral defense posture.

Austin arrived from Singapore, where he attended the Shangri-La defence forum and held talks with his Chinese counterpart, Adm. Dong Jun, as the US and China gradually work to repair lines of communications between their militaries that could be critical as tensions continue to rise between them in the Indo-Pacific region.

The visit was Austin's first visit to Cambodia since Hun Manet became prime minister last year, succeeding his father Hun Sen, who held office for 38 years. The handover has led to speculation of a reset in US-Cambodia relations, though so far Hun Manet has maintained his father's policies.

Hun Manet was Cambodia's army commander 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 cadet there.

Austin also met Tuesday with Cambodian alumni of US military education programs.

From Cambodia, Austin will go to France to attend events commemorating the 80th anniversary of the World War II D-Day landing, the US Defence Department said. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)