Mak R. Militarnyi

 

In a striking shift after years of diplomatic chill, the United States and Cambodia have agreed to revive joint military exercises, marking a renewed phase of cooperation following a Trump-brokered peace accord in Southeast Asia.

 

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the return of the Angkor Sentinel drills after meeting his Cambodian counterpart on 31 October, during a regional security summit in Kuala Lumpur. The exercises, dormant since 2017, were previously suspended amid Washington’s criticism of Cambodia’s democratic backsliding and human rights record.

 

The announcement follows a flurry of bilateral breakthroughs, including a new trade deal and a peace agreement between Cambodia and Thailand, signed under the auspices of President Donald Trump. That accord helped defuse a deadly border dispute that claimed dozens of lives earlier this year.

 

The defence chiefs also discussed a potential US naval visit to Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base—an installation long shadowed by American concerns over Chinese military access. Washington has warned that a secretive 2019 deal could turn the base into Beijing’s first Indo-Pacific outpost, a claim Cambodia has repeatedly denied.

 

Meanwhile, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has pledged deeper cooperation with US law enforcement to tackle transnational crime. In a phone call with FBI Director Kash Patel, Hun Manet welcomed continued collaboration to combat human trafficking, cyber scams, and financial crime—issues that have plagued Cambodia and its neighbours.

 

“As a next step, we have agreed to continue strengthening cooperation between the Cambodian Security Agency and the FBI to maintain safety and security for our people and our country,” Hun Manet wrote in a Facebook post.

 

The renewed defence ties and law enforcement pledges come as Cambodia seeks to rehabilitate its international image and attract investment, following US sanctions on powerful domestic entities linked to illicit finance.

 

Together, these developments signal a cautious but notable thaw in US-Cambodia relations—one shaped by strategic recalibration, regional diplomacy, and shared security concerns.

 

 

-2025-11-03

Another win for Trump.

 

Trump train.  full speed ahead.

 

Another subject for the deranged Trump haters to have their heads explode over.

 

More so than the Donald J Trump ballroom.
 

Just wait.  Any minute now.

On 11/3/2025 at 9:02 AM, geovalin said:

and shared security concerns.

 

Re-occurrence of border violations by Thailand?

20 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

 

Re-occurrence of border violations by Thailand?

More like sabre rattling by Trump.