China is training Cambodian officers
JUNE 4th, 2004

Pookaibooks : U.S. Concerned About Losing Ground in Cambodia to China
U.S. government officials are worried about losing political ground in Southeast Asia to China. James A. Kelly Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs used Cambodia's relationship with China as an example during a meeting of the House of Representatives' International Relations Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific.
"I note that a recent exchange of senior official visitors between China and Cambodia resulted in 25 bilateral agreements. They range from agreements to conduct feasibility studies for a hydropower plant to grant and loan agreements covering textile and cement plants, tourism, highway construction and the development of a golf club. These agreements involve relatively little in financial terms, but they serve notice of how China is using its newly won economic power to expand its presence and political influence among its southern neighbors. While we welcome constructive engagement by China in the Asia-Pacific region, we need to ensure that the United States remains fully engaged with the nations of Southeast Asia."
Right now, the United States' greatest accomplishment in Cambodia is the smooth road that connects Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville. But when you arrive in Sihanoukville, you realize that China – and in part the Chinese army's business interests – have gained significant clout by investing hundreds of thousands of dollars.
One good way to start helping Cambodia is to restart a military training program that brought Cambodian officers to the United States for training. The training exposed them to the concept of a neutral military and gave them a taste of life in the United States. But the program was stopped soon after the fighting in 1997. China trains many of Cambodia's military officers now. [soc.culture.cambodia]