US lifts arms embargo on Cambodia after Trump oversees ceasefire deal
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US President Donald Trump (right) oversaw the signing of an enhanced ceasefire deal between Cambodia and Thailand on Oct 26.
PHOTO: EPA
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- US lifted the embargo on defence trade with Cambodia after a ceasefire deal between Cambodia and Thailand, overseen by President Trump.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio cited Cambodia's peace efforts and renewed US defence cooperation for the embargo lift. Sales are case-by-case.
- Despite the lifted embargo, US concerns remain over China's military influence in Cambodia, particularly at the Ream Naval Base.
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WASHINGTON – The US on Nov 6 lifted an embargo on defence trade with Cambodia after President Donald Trump oversaw the signing of a ceasefire deal
Mr Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden imposed the ban on arms exports to the South-east Asian nation in 2021, citing the growing influence of China’s military in the country, as well as human rights issues and alleged corruption.
According to a notice in the Federal Register, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio lifted the restrictions based on “Cambodia’s diligent pursuit of peace and security, including through renewed engagement with the United States on defence cooperation and combating transnational crime”.
It said arms sales would now be authorised on a case-by-case basis.
It was unclear whether US concerns over Chinese military influence in Cambodia have been addressed.
US officials have for years raised concerns about China’s expansion of the Ream Naval Base, which could give China an outpost near the contested waters of the South China Sea.
The State Department and Cambodia’s Washington embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The determination comes after Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said, after meeting Cambodian Minister of National Defence Tea Seiha in Malaysia on Oct 31, that he had “agreed to restart our premier bilateral military exercise with Cambodia”.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said during the signing ceremony that he had nominated Mr Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in ending border fighting that broke out in July.
South-east Asia expert Gregory Poling, of Washington’s Centre for Strategic and International Studies think-tank, said he believed the US move was largely symbolic, as he doubted Cambodia had the interest or capacity to acquire sophisticated US equipment.
He said the current upswing in ties fitted “a well-worn pattern of each US administration seeking some sort of reset with Phnom Penh on the assumption that Cambodian leaders believe they’ve swung too far towards Beijing”.
Mr Trump was less concerned than previous US administrations about rights, “so perhaps this window is more sustainable than previous efforts”, Mr Poling said, although there was no sign Cambodia would grant the US access to the part of ream apparently set aside for China’s exclusive use.
“I expect that will be the real test of this nascent turnaround in the defence relationship,” he said. REUTERS
