During the regular press conference on March 31, the Ministry of National Defense Spokesperson China Ngo Khiem announced that the two sides had agreed to sign this agreement. The phone call took place on the same day.
“China and Cambodia are two close neighbors and loyal friends. In recent years, substantive cooperation between the two countries in many fields, including strategic exchanges, joint training, military exchanges and training, continues to deepen,” Ngo said.
The agreement was signed between General Liu Zhenli, commander of the Infantry of the People’s Liberation Army, and General Hun Manet, deputy commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Army.
Mr. Hun Manet is the eldest son of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and has been supported by the ruling party to become the next leader in the future.
The announcement of the agreement came after it was reported that China was preparing to sign a security agreement with the Solomon Islands that would allow Chinese warships to dock in a port just 2,000km off the coast of Australia. The Australian and New Zealand ministers have both expressed concern about the impact of the agreement on the security of the South Pacific.
Relations between the United States and Cambodia became strained after reports in 2019 said that Beijing had signed a secret agreement with Cambodia for the Chinese armed forces to use part of the Ream military port on the island. Gulf of Thailand.
Although the two countries denied this information, the Biden administration has imposed sanctions on the companies and individuals involved, including two senior Cambodian defense officials. Earlier, the US Department of Commerce decided to embargo arms with Cambodia, when Washington said that Cambodia’s military relations with China “weakened and threatened regional security”.
On March 31, a spokesman for the US Embassy in Phnom Penh called on the Cambodian government to provide specific information on the extent of Chinese military involvement in the country. “Full transparency on the intention, nature and scale of the activities will benefit the people of Cambodia, neighboring countries and ASEAN,” said spokesman Chad Roedemeier.
These developments could have long-term implications for “regional sovereignty and security,” he said.
According to Bloomberg
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