U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met his Cambodian counterpart on Tuesday during a visit to Phnom Penh aimed at reversing some gains China has made in the country, amid concern over its presence at a key Cambodian naval base.
Austin was welcomed by Cambodia’s Minister of National Defense Tea Seiha in Phnom Penh, where they later held a bilateral meeting.
Cambodia’s decision to allow China to develop Ream Naval Base, located at a key waterway on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand in Sihanoukville province, has Washington worried that it will give Beijing a new outpost near the contested South China Sea, most of which is claimed by China.
Adding to the U.S. concerns, China last month sent two warships to Cambodia and East Timor on a tour that will last to mid-June.