China has defended its close relationship with Cambodia, after criticism from the United States. Following her meeting with Prime Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday, US Deputy Secretary of State, Wendy Sherman, said that Cambodia should have a more balanced foreign policy in the interests of US-Cambodia relations.
But China’s Foreign Ministry has now hit back, saying its relationship with Cambodia has made “positive contributions to regional peace and stability”.
The main bone of contention between Beijing and Washington is the Ream Naval Base near Sihanoukville. It’s been undergoing redevelopment in recent years – redevelopment paid for by China. That fact has led Washington to accuse Phnom Penh of allowing China to build its own naval base on the Gulf of Thailand – a charge Cambodia has repeatedly denied.
Prime Minister Hun Sen says Cambodia welcomes any investment from any country and that Ream Port and its naval base remain strictly under Cambodian control. He says any country in the world is welcome to use the base – either to make port calls or hold joint military exercises with the Royal Cambodian Navy. He’s even granted a request from the U.S, allowing one of its defense attaches to visit the base on a fact-finding mission. A date just has to be set for what would be the second such visit in as many years.
Responding to the U.S State Department’s criticism, China says it enjoys a “traditional friendship” with Cambodia and the two countries are “comprehensive strategic and cooperative partners.”
Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Wang Wenbin went onto say that “The two sides have carried out fruitful cooperation in various fields, which has brought tangible benefits to the two peoples and made positive contributions to regional peace and stability.”
Andrew Barnes-Roberts, E-Arts Cambodia