https://asia.nikkei.com/Editor-s-Picks/ ... 9&si=44594

Cambodia risks 'consequences' if China uses naval base
U.S. State Department adviser Chollet stresses partnerships on South China Sea


U.S. State Department Counselor Derek Chollet spoke with Nikkei in Singapore on Saturday.
RYO NAKAMURA, Nikkei staff writerJune 14, 2022 16:32 JST

SINGAPORE -- Cambodia could face consequences if it allows China to use a naval base in the country, U.S. State Department Counselor Derek Chollet said in an interview with Nikkei, raising concerns over the Beijing-funded expansion of a naval base there.

"We don't think it's in [Cambodia's] interest over the long term," Chollet, who serves as an undersecretary-level policy adviser to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, said on Saturday during a visit to Singapore.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held last Wednesday for the expansion of the Ream Naval Base in southwestern Cambodia. A senior U.S. defense official has said that part of the base will be reserved for the sole use of the Chinese military.

"I don't want to speculate on what we may or may not do," Chollet said. "We've just been very, very clear to our Cambodian friends the consequences we think, for them, of a Chinese military presence at this facility." He warned that it would hinder U.S. security cooperation with Cambodia.

President Joe Biden's administration has been concerned about the Chinese military's growing influence in the country for some time. The Commerce Department last December placed Cambodia on its arms embargo list and tightened screening of technology exports there. It essentially banned sales of sensitive items for military applications or users, out of concern such items could be diverted to China.

Chollet was skeptical of China's assertions that it would not be able to use the base itself, as Beijing previously broke its pledge not to militarize the South China Sea. "China's been very clear in both what it's been saying and what it's doing that it intends to build a global network of military facilities," he said.

Chollet stressed cooperation with U.S. partners in the region in its response to Beijing's efforts to gain effective control over the South China Sea, saying "the foundation of our effort has been to strengthen these partnerships and these alliances."

He referred to a speech Saturday by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Indo-Pacific security. Austin "was very clear on the United States' commitment, the Biden administration's commitment, to stand by our partners in the region and to ensure that we are able to -- the United States, alongside our partners -- to operate in international waters," Chollet said.

Washington has been signaling its intentions to engage more with Southeast Asia under Biden than under previous President Donald Trump. Biden hosted leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations at the White House for the first time last month, and Austin followed his visit to Singapore with a trip to Thailand on Sunday and Monday.

Asked about the U.S.-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, Chollet expressed confidence that it will, "over time, provide significant economic benefits to members of ASEAN and others throughout the region."

"I think those economic benefits over time, particularly in these critical areas of clean energy, supply chains, digital transformation, there's a lot of opportunity for mutual benefits," he said.

On the deepening security cooperation between China and Russia, Chollet said he does not consider this development a new challenge to the Indo-Pacific.

"Russia is not going to be a very good partner for anyone right now, including China," he said, arguing that Moscow's pariah status in much of the world after the invasion of Ukraine creates a "challenge" for Beijing.

As an independent, sovereign state, Cambodia is free to ally itself to whomever it thinks is in its best interests, without threats and intimidation.

I fail to see the difference between the US telling Cambodia who it can and can't parter up with, and Russia telling Ukraine it cannot join NATO. Seriously, what is the difference?

A lot of countries are turning their backs on the US and turning towards China now. Maybe the US would better off asking itself why.

Can't we just send all these outwardly challenged NY folks back and find out in Brooklyn? What are you complaining about here? I'm on Netflix for pompous NY every now and then, but who cares what they have to say here, even if they're the world's first female officer to fly a B-52? Does it make a difference here? Do you really think so? are you mentally handicapped?

xandreu wrote: ↑Thu Jun 16, 2022 10:57 am As an independent, sovereign state, Cambodia is free to ally itself to whomever it thinks is in its best interests, without threats and intimidation.

I fail to see the difference between the US telling Cambodia who it can and can't parter up with, and Russia telling Ukraine it cannot join NATO. Seriously, what is the difference?

A lot of countries are turning their backs on the US and turning towards China now. Maybe the US would better off asking itself why.

I can see a big difference. Russia is bombing Ukraine back into the stone age, forcing millions to flee their homes and killing thousands and thousands. I'd say the US is well within its rights to say "if you are friends with them you can't play with our toys".

hburns wrote: ↑Thu Jun 16, 2022 4:44 pm

xandreu wrote: ↑Thu Jun 16, 2022 10:57 am As an independent, sovereign state, Cambodia is free to ally itself to whomever it thinks is in its best interests, without threats and intimidation.

I fail to see the difference between the US telling Cambodia who it can and can't parter up with, and Russia telling Ukraine it cannot join NATO. Seriously, what is the difference?

A lot of countries are turning their backs on the US and turning towards China now. Maybe the US would better off asking itself why.

I can see a big difference. Russia is bombing Ukraine back into the stone age, forcing millions to flee their homes and killing thousands and thousands. I'd say the US is well within its rights to say "if you are friends with them you can't play with our toys".

It's becoming more and more evident that countries such as Cambodia don't want to play with the US's toys anymore. As I said, maybe the US would be better off working out what China is doing right rather than using threatening rhetoric. Perhaps then, it will see where and why its influence is failing so spectacularly.

While it's a very complicated issue, the general gist emanating from many of the smaller countries that rely on the bigger countries is that China is proving itself to be a trustworthy and reliable partner which sees the value in offering something tangible and beneficial to the smaller nations without exploiting them for its own ends.

phuketrichard wrote: ↑Thu Jun 16, 2022 5:21 pm

xandreu wrote: ↑Thu Jun 16, 2022 10:57 am As an independent, sovereign state, Cambodia is free to ally itself to whomever it thinks is in its best interests, without threats and intimidation.

I fail to see the difference between the US telling Cambodia who it can and can't parter up with, and Russia telling Ukraine it cannot join NATO. Seriously, what is the difference?

A lot of countries are turning their backs on the US and turning towards China now. Maybe the US would better off asking itself why.

Please tell me which countries are turning their backs on the US in favor of China?

Only found this from 2016 but doesn't specifically say which ones>
https://hiram1555.com/2016/09/12/asian- ... -to-china/

Really? With it being such a hot topic as of late, I'm surprised that was all you could find.

(I don't do other people's Googling for them)

xandreu wrote: ↑Thu Jun 16, 2022 4:58 pm

hburns wrote: ↑Thu Jun 16, 2022 4:44 pm

xandreu wrote: ↑Thu Jun 16, 2022 10:57 am As an independent, sovereign state, Cambodia is free to ally itself to whomever it thinks is in its best interests, without threats and intimidation.

I fail to see the difference between the US telling Cambodia who it can and can't parter up with, and Russia telling Ukraine it cannot join NATO. Seriously, what is the difference?

A lot of countries are turning their backs on the US and turning towards China now. Maybe the US would better off asking itself why.

I can see a big difference. Russia is bombing Ukraine back into the stone age, forcing millions to flee their homes and killing thousands and thousands. I'd say the US is well within its rights to say "if you are friends with them you can't play with our toys".

It's becoming more and more evident that countries such as Cambodia don't want to play with the US's toys anymore. As I said, maybe the US would be better off working out what China is doing right rather than using threatening rhetoric. Perhaps then, it will see where and why its influence is failing so spectacularly.

While it's a very complicated issue, the general gist emanating from many of the smaller countries that rely on the bigger countries is that China is proving itself to be a trustworthy and reliable partner which sees the value in offering something tangible and beneficial to the smaller nations without exploiting them for its own ends.

------------

I think the general gist is that China doesn't give a damn what the money they LOAN is actually used for - ie corruption is just fine. While the US and EU put conditions on aid.

I don't think Sri Lanka currently thinks China is a trustworthy and reliable partner - unless by reliable you mean they will take over part of your country when you don't pay. Several other African countries are on the same path as Sri Lanka. Loans to pay for Chinese construction firms to fly in Chinese workers to build projects doesn't really stimulate the local economy. And when the payoff from the project is less than anticipated the locals are left with the bill.

What is not complicated is that diplomats don't give these kinds of interviews. Deliver the message in private and then follow through on your position. This type of public calling out just makes it more difficult to the powers that be to actually end up siding with you. No one likes to be told what to do by others and no politician can be seen to be doing another country's bidding (if they want to remain in power for long).