Cambodia’s approval of Japanese naval visits signals policy of ‘balancing interests’
The move comes as Cambodia-China ties might have stalled due to Beijing holding up funding for Phnom Penh and concerns about scam centres
Just days earlier, an American warship docked at the southern port city of Cambodia’s Sihanoukville, just several kilometres away from Ream, in the first American military port call to one of Beijing’s closest regional allies in eight years.
USS Savannah commanding officer Daniel A. Sledz said the Americans were pleased to return and be hosted by Cambodia. The warship departed from Cambodia last Friday.
Sophal Ear, an associate professor at Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management, said the two developments suggested that Cambodia wanted to have a more balanced foreign policy and reduce its overdependence on China.
“Granting visitation rights to Japan, while still maintaining strong ties to Beijing, demonstrates a nuanced approach to balancing interests,” Ear said. Cambodia’s ability to navigate great power competition would depend on whether it could develop its overall capabilities and enhance cooperation with middle-power partners such as Japan and Australia.
