Reporters and the U.S charge d'affaires were taken to the U.S-Cambodian naval exercise on 22nd October off the Sihanoukville coast.Friday, 28 October 2011
Kristin Lynch
Phnom Penh Post
A Senior United States defence official denied yesterday that increased US military involvement with Cambodia was a reaction to concerns aired in Washington last month that China was conducting a “charm offensive” in the Kingdom.
Capping off two days of “fruitful” meetings with Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defence, Robert Scher told a press conference the concerns, raised in a report by a Washington think-tank, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, were not the basis of his visit.
“We are happy to have China as a responsible actor in the regional community, and we really are not basing any of our engagement opportunities in opposition to, or in conflict with, anyone,” he said.
Scher, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for South and Southeast Asia, said the US Defence Department was becoming increasingly interested in what it was seeing as an improved and more receptive Cambodian armed force.
“We now see a Royal Cambodian Armed Force and a Ministry of National Defence that is open and willing and pursuing the right path for how the military fits into the system of governance. Based on that, we are able to engage more,” he said.
Scher’s visit comes amid a flurry of US military engagement in the Kingdom. In August, Brigadier-General Richard Simcock, the US Defence Department’s principal adviser for South and Southeast Asia, paid a three-day visit to the Kingdom.
Yesterday marked the last day of the second Co-operation Afloat Readiness and Training exercise, a military exchange program between the US and Cambodia designed to improve the latter’s naval capacity.
The week of activities included a ceremony at the Sihanoukville Port last Saturday.
5 comments:
SO!,THE CAMBODIA IS IN THE MODERN HISTORY RIGHT NOW!,WHAT WRONG WITH THAT?.WHO GOT A HEADACHE?,THEN GET THE HELL OUT OF CAMBODIA'S FACE!!.WE GOT AID FROM CHINA AND GOT THE MILITARY TRAINING FROM AMERICA THAT WHAT THEY CALL SMART MOVED!.GOD AND GODBUDHHA BLESS CAMBODIA AND HER PEOPLES AROUND THE GLOBE.
China tries to influence Cambodia through business, but America tries it trough the military. That's what happened in 1970 when America encouraged Gen. Lon Nol and Sirik Matak to launch a coup against Sihanouk because they were very close to America.
This time, America hopes to probably repeat that scenario when the time comes because America can't influence the die-hard communist leaders, like Hun Sen and others,through business and politics, so it has to opt for the military influence which will be more effective in the future.
United States is good for human rights and democracy (1).
China is good for economic and financial aid without conditions (2).
The new foreign policy doctrine of Cambodia is :
Cambodia has to choose the average of the two = [(1) + (2)] * 1 / 2
and stay firmly in ASEAN and in particular friends with Vietnam and Thailand.
Cambodia plays dangerous game again by not being decisive about their relationship between the 2 super power. Don't think for a moment that you can fool them or use them to gain benefit. When the last time Cambodian gain something or win something from them? Cambodia cannot pretend that nothing will happen to Cambodia. Look at the history closely when you are not decisive about which side you are on especially United States and China. You can have relationship with many countries but you got to know and respect who is your boss and making sure your boss got your back. You cannot play around with United States. You need to understand who is the world super power and not puting Cambodian future at risk. China is part of Cambodian culture and its people is part of Cambodian but we cannot pretend that China is military super power or the world leader. Cambodia needed to focus on who they wanted for military backer. Don't dream about Vietnam beating the US again. Cambodia cannot pretend that China and US will go to war because of Cambodia either. Don't dream China will go to war with Vietnam for Cambodia either. The most likely thing to happen is Cambodia will get punish from both side again. Remember the bombing? Remember the Khmer Rouge? Remember the Vietnam invasion? Remember Gen Lon Nol overthrown the king? Why do you think these event happened? Who suffered?
Tuk Tuk Driver
Every country on earth should respect the US for it great initiative and leadership toward human dignity and progress but should never fear/hate its military power or over dependent on US help.
US did not fight Russia for Georgia or will fight China for stupid but smart ass Vietnamese!
Cambodia is doing just fine by balancing its policy toward both US and China thank you!
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