Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visits Cambodia as US concerns grow over China’s influence

Phnom Penh, Cambodia CNN —

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin traveled to Cambodia on Tuesday to meet with the country’s prime minister and defense minister, as Washington becomes increasingly concerned that Phnom Penh may grant China’s military exclusive access to a key naval base.

Austin’s trip to the Cambodian capital marks his second visit to the Southeast Asian country as Secretary of Defense but is the first time a United States defense chief has traveled to Cambodia specifically to hold a bilateral meeting with his counterpart, Defense Minister Tea Seiha.

The outreach reflects the US’ desire to forge a better relationship with Cambodia, defense officials said, particularly as Beijing’s influence over the country has only continued to grow in recent years.

“We believe there is potentially an opportunity, with leadership transition in Cambodia, for us to sit down and talk about how our relationship might have a more positive and optimistic path in the future,” a senior defense official told reporters, referring to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, who took office last year following his father Hun Sen’s nearly four-decade rule. “This isn’t a visit that is about significant deliverables and achievements.”

Austin did express the US’ concerns, however, about China’s funding of and presence at Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base on the Gulf of Thailand, officials said. In December, China docked two warships at the base, which is in a highly strategic position close to the South China Sea.

Cambodian officials have repeatedly denied the facility would be used by China as a naval base, insisting the project is in line with Cambodia’s constitution, which bars foreign military bases on its territory. Chinese officials,