Cambodia has canceled upcoming military exercises with the US, the defense ministry said yesterday, denying the decision was made to appease regional ally China, with which it conducted joint drills last month.
US and Cambodian troops had been due to take part in the annual “Angkor Sentinel” joint exercise this summer, which has been held for the past seven years, but defense officials in Phnom Penh said the exercise had been halted because Cambodian troops were needed to carry out an ongoing drug crimes purge and prepare for upcoming local elections due to be held in June.
“We need forces to maintain security during the local elections in 2017. That’s why we are suspending the exercise,” Cambodian Ministry of National Defense spokesman Chhum Socheat said. “It is not about Chinese influence. We have cooperation with both China and the US, as well as other countries.”
Outgoing US President Barack Obama spent much of his eight years in office trying to forge closer alliances in Asia, part of his much-vaunted, but often distracted, pivot to the region.
It is unclear whether his successor US president-elect Donald Trump plans to continue the policy.
Cambodia is one of Southeast Asia’s staunchest China allies, with Beijing rewarding the government of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen with lucrative business and defense deals.
Last month, Cambodia hosted the “Golden Dragon” joint exercise with Chinese troops.
In October last year, Chinese president Xi Jinping (習近平) visited Cambodia and promised hundreds of millions of dollars in aid, including military equipment.
Cambodia has become a thorn in the side for neighboring nations hoping to present a unified front against China’s island-building in contested waters. The US has also sparred with Beijing over the issue.
While his policies for Southeast Asia remain unclear, Trump has vowed in various tweets and speeches to take a more muscular approach toward China on trade and regional security.
A spokesperson at the US embassy in Phnom Penh did not respond to requests for comment.
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