U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin met with Cambodia’s prime minister Tuesday amid concerns in Washington over the kingdom’s relationship with China, which may look to the country as a foothold in southeast Asia.
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The Pentagon chief, who met with Prime Minister Hun Manet for the first time since he took over the premiership from his father, expressed concerns over Beijing’s involvement with the naval base it helped build, a U.S. official told ABC News.
Cambodia, a close ally of China, allowed it to build the base on the Gulf of Thailand with Chinese funds. Chinese warships were spotted there as recently as last month.
