SternAAlbifrons wrote: ↑Tue Jul 06, 2021 2:27 am A geopolitical discussion by suburban grocery store bookkeepers.
I despair. All this petty-fogging about pennies.
ffs - the issues at stake here are not about who pays the kid's school fees.

The decision to end the programme had been made after Cambodia had ended some areas of military cooperation, U.S. Embassy spokesman Arend Zwartjes said.

"Following Cambodia's curtailment of cooperation in several areas of traditional bilateral military-military engagement, the country lost its eligibility for the U.S. military service academy program," Zwartjes told Voice of America (VoA).

Zwartjes said, however, Cambodian students currently enrolled in U.S. military academies would be permitted to complete their undergraduate programmes.

"The United States has encouraged the Government of Cambodia to assist its students with remaining tuition costs," Zwartjes said.

SternAAlbifrons wrote: ↑Wed Jul 07, 2021 1:09 am Now your putting some meat on the bones, Doc.
I don't disagree with any of that. - and yes, it was certainly Cambodia's choice.

My little 4 am expression of annoyance was just a reaction to what i saw as a focus on who would pay the (relatively) piddly fees.
To me, the bigger issue of the continued/further breakdown of the relationship between Cambodia and USA is far more important.

To be honest, i thought this kind of military training had completely stopped some time ago - along with the joint exercises. I definitely think in current climate it would be a bit silly to keep educating China's allies about US military tactics and thinking.

Spoiler:

except to recruit spies [/spoiler ]
Those few Cambodians going over are probably like HE's son - too heavily invested in the current regime to ever be persuaded to be a US asset - neither as a full on spy, nor just as a "good friend".