Cambodia, the US, and China: Continuity and Change in Foreign Relations

8/11/2019 Cambodia, the US, and China: Continuity and Change in Foreign Relations

1/32

Cambodia, the US, and China:

Continuity and ChangeSophal Ear, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Naval Postgraduate School

20 December 2010

Disclaimer: Material contained herein is made available for the purpose of peer review and discussion anddoes not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Navy or the Department of Defense.


2/32

First off, how many of you have been

to Cambodia?

Who among you knows about

Cambodias modern history?


3/32


4/32

1970: Sideshow to Vietnam War


5/32

"There are no American

combat troops in

Cambodia. There are no

American combatadvisers in Cambodia.

There will be no

American combat

troops or advisers in

Cambodia. We will aid

Cambodia. Cambodia is

the Nixon doctrine in itspurest form."

President Richard Nixon,

November 1971


6/32


7/32

1975-79: The Killing Fields

1 in 4 Cambodians

dies


8/32

1.7 Million Deaths


9/32

Vietnam Invades and Occupies

Cambodia 1979-1989


10/32


11/32

2007: USS Essex visits along with

Admiral Willard


12/32

15 June 2010: USNS Mercy and JDS

Kunisaki arrive in Cambodia as part of

Pacific Partnership 2010 (First Time)


13/32

Good news is that

Cambodia is

mentioned only

once


14/32

And only in the

context of

PACOMs AOR


15/32

Bad News: At Least 5 of 9 Challenges in

Realm of Possible for Cambodia Transnational violent extremismthat promotes

disorder, disrupts stability, and opposes freedom;

Transnational and international criminal activitytoinclude narco-trafficking, trafficking in persons, and

piracy; Humanitarian crisessuch as pandemic, famine or

drought;

Historic animosities, territorial disputes, and strongnationalist tendencies; and,

Poor environmental stewardshipand resourcemanagement, pillaging of shared resources, anddisputes over resource sovereignty.

For all the challenges in the AOR Strategic Environment, see page 4 of USPACOM Strategy

P 36


16/32

Page 36:

Cambodia's ability toinvestigate potentialterrorist activities was

limited by a lack oftraining and resources porous borders,endemic corruption,massive poverty, high

unemployment, a pooreducation system, anddisaffected elementswithin the ChamMuslim population,

which makes upapproximately fivepercent of thepopulation, areconditions thatterrorists could exploit.


17/32

Page 11:

Tiny sandals provide a

reminder of the youngest

victims exploited a

brothel in Cambodia


18/32

Illegal

logging

inside

BokumSakor

National

Park


19/32

Territorial Disputes: Preah Vihear


20/32


21/32

February 2003:

Burn Down

Thailands Embassy

November 2009:Cambodian PM bear hugs Thaksin

(and makes him Advisor)


22/32

March 2010: Postcard to Thailand

200 Russian-made BM-21 rockets and launchers (truck-mounted 122-mm rockets)


23/32

16 December 2010:

Thailand, Cambodia drop visassteady improvement in relationsbetween Thailandand Cambodia

Relationsbetween Thailandand Cambodiaare seemingly back on track

after two years of strain as a result of the controversy over Preah Vihear temple


24/32

Perennial Droughts: Climate Change or

Chinese Dams? Cambodian PM says not

China!

Pandemics: Save that for my next panel


25/32

1999: Speaking of Chinese LargessCambodian Senate Complex

(which has its own golf range)


26/32

2009: Tomb-like Council of Ministers Building


27/32

Not Just Architectural Monstrosities

2005-2007 China delivered15 patrol boats to Cambodia

to bolster its ageing fleet.

AFP: The [latest] hand-over

came less than a monthbefore the expected visit of

the American warship USS

Essex, the latest in a series

of high-profile US Navy

stops in Cambodia.


28/32

Mula too

China surpassed the USas a donor to Cambodiain 2006, when the USdisbursed $51 million

$600 million in aidoften cited

$1.2 billion in

investment signed inDecember 2009 duringvisit of China's VicePresident Xi Jinping


29/32

Uyghurs vs. Trucks vs. $1.2bn.

"If the US gives usthe equipment, weare happy. And ifthey won't give it to

us, it is also good.Khieu Kanharith,Cambodian govt

spokesman

December 2009: Day before $1.2bn from China, 20

ethnic Uyghurs sent back to China April 2010 consequences: 200 US trucks and trailers

for Cambodia cancelled


30/32


31/32

Engaged But Not Married

It is the rights [sic] of U.S. to either donate orsuspend such assistance. Cambodia is implementing itsown policy and laws within the frameworks [sic] of fullsovereignty That means U.S. can implement their

policy and we can implement ours. Koy Kong,spokesman for Ministry of Foreign Affairs andInternational Cooperation told Xinhua

May 2010: 257 military trucks and 50,000 military

uniforms donated by China They are all brand-new trucks... from the factory.

--Cambodian PM


32/32

Documents

Cambodia, the US, and China: Continuity and Change in Foreign Relations