Cambodia kicks off military drills with China as US ties sour
China and Cambodia on Saturday kicked off military exercises focused on counter- terrorism and rescue operations, highlighting the strong ties between the two countries amid strained relations between Cambodia and the United States.
Major General Zhang Jian, commander of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Southern Theatre Command, and Pol Saroeun, commander-in-chief of the Cambodian military, opened the Dragon Gold 2018 exercise west of Cambodia’s capi- tal, Phnom Penh.
Pol Saroeun said the exercise, which involves 280 Cambodian and 216 Chinese soldiers, aims to celebrate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties and strengthen the “traditional relationship and trust politically between the two countries”.
China is Cambodia’s largest foreign investor and has poured billions of dollars into infrastructure projects in the country.
Pol Saroeun said Cambodia has benefited from China which tops foreign investments and foreign tourist arrivals in the country.
“The support in spirit, equipment and finance from the great friend China in great numbers have made Cambodia progress rapidly,” he said.
China held its first joint naval drill with Cambodia in 2016 and Phnom Penh suspended joint military exercises with the United States indefinitely a year later saying it was too busy holding elections.
The exercise comes ahead of a July general election that Prime Minister Hun Sen, with backing from China, looks set to win easily after the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) was dissolved by the China’s largely rubberstamp parliament on Saturday unanimously re-elected Xi Jinping as the country’s president.
The parliament voted to amend the constitution to remove presidential term limits, meaning Xi can stay indefinitely.
China’s parliament also chose former top graft-buster Wang Qishan, a key ally of President Xi Jinping, as vice president a widely expected move that nonetheless breaks with convention and underlines Xi’s dominant authority.
Only one person voted