In February, the Cambodian government suspended a planned joint military exercise with China, citing the need to cut spending in order to allocate more resources to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
But the government’s explanation is less than convincing and likely has more to do with the country’s foreign policy, particularly its broken relationship with the United States.
Hun Sen may be using the decision to test the waters with the new administration in the US—to see how President Joe Biden’s government views the development and if closer relations are possible.
