AFP — Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said on Friday (14) that Cambodia and the United States will resume joint military exercises next year, in an effort to restore relations strained by Phnom Penh's closeness to Beijing.
The announcement of the first joint exercises in 10 years came after a meeting between Prime Minister Hun Manet and Elbridge Colby, the US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, in Phnom Penh on Friday.
The resumption of military exercises under the code name "Angkor Sentinel" in 2027 will serve as a bridge toward building a closer friendship between the armed forces of the two countries, the Cambodian leader stated in a Facebook post.
He also praised positive progress in Cambodia–US relations, including in the defense sector.
The United States and Cambodia had previously held joint exercises for seven years before Phnom Penh cancelled them in early 2017, just months after conducting its first joint exercises under the code name "Golden Dragon" with the Chinese military.
Last year, Cambodia and China held their largest-ever joint military exercises, featuring advanced Chinese military equipment including artillery, warships, and armed robot dogs.
Phnom Penh has long been one of Beijing's strongest allies in Southeast Asia, receiving billions of dollars in investment.
In recent years, the United States has expressed concern over the upgrading of Cambodia's Ream Naval Base, which has been financially supported by China. The base is located on the southern coast along the Gulf of Thailand.
Washington has said that the naval base — originally built in part with US funding — could give China a strategically important position near the disputed South China Sea, over which Beijing claims nearly complete sovereignty.
Cambodian leaders have repeatedly denied that the base is intended for any one major power, and in January, a US warship docked at the facility.
In an online briefing with reporters, Colby said the United States hopes to work toward expanding defense cooperation with Cambodia, and stated that the cooperation is pursued in a pragmatic spirit and is designed to help Cambodia preserve its territorial integrity and sovereignty.
