Cambodia’s Hun Many Calls for Stronger US Ties

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The son of the country’s premier urges both sides to boost relations in spite of lingering differences.

By Prashanth Parameswaran

The United States and Cambodia should look to strengthen their relationship even in the face of differences and challenges, the youngest son of the country’s premier Hun Sen with aspirations to hold the Southeast Asian state’s highest office told an audience in Washington, D.C. January 20.

Good momentum has been built up in U.S.-Cambodia relations over the past few years, Hun Many, a lawmaker from the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) with a stated ambition to become the country’s next prime minister, said in a speech at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) Wednesday. Both sides have seen a string of high-level visits, with U.S. President Barack Obama visiting Cambodia in 2012 for the East Asia Summit and even Michelle Obama doing so last year. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is scheduled to make a trip to Cambodia later this month, and Hun Sen will be in the United States in mid-February for the U.S.-ASEAN Leaders Meeting at the Sunnylands estate in California (See: “A ‘Special’ US-ASEAN Summit in Sunnylands in 2016?”).

More generally, the 33-year old Hun Many, who has spent several years studying in the United States at Hoffstra University and the National Defense University, argued that there was already a good foundation to build on between the two countries. Trade-wise, Cambodian exports to the United States were valued at $2.8 billion last year while U.S. exports to Cambodia were at $363.4 million. Over 200,000 Americans visited Cambodia in 2015, and collaboration was ongoing in several areas including defense and counterterrorism.

“So we have room for enhancing and betterment of our relations,” he said. “And frankly, for me, I believe there [are] good prospect for an even better U.S.-Cambodia relationship.”

read more: http://thediplomat.com/2016/01/cambodias-hun-many-calls-for-stronger-us-ties/