A US State Department envoy has conveyed his concerns to top Cambodian officials about bilateral and regional issues, including the crisis in Myanmar and the construction of Chinese military facilities at a Cambodian naval base.
The visit by Counsellor Derek Chollet to Phnom Penh on Friday came days after the United States ordered an arms embargo on Cambodia, citing deepening Chinese military influence, corruption and human rights abuses in the Southeast Asian country.
Chollet told journalists his discussions with Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn involved issues related to Myanmar and China, as well as the role Cambodia intends to play as the new chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, whose efforts to mediate peace in Myanmar have fallen short.
