On December 16, the USS Savannah (LCS 28), commanded by Admiral Samuel Paparo (Commander of the Indo-Pacific Command) docked at the Preah Sihanouk Autonomous Port in Cambodia. This marks the first visit of a US warship to a Cambodian port since 2016.
1. The port call might reflect improvements in US-Cambodia defense relations in 2024
The arrival of USS Savannah signals a positive shift in US-Cambodia defense relations, which have been strained in recent years due to various issues, including US accusations of political repression in Cambodia's 2013 elections, human rights violations, and concerns over China's military use of the Ream Naval Base. The US also imposed an arms embargo on Cambodia in 2021.
The year 2024 has seen significant improvements in US-Cambodia relations, with notable events such as US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’ visit to Cambodia in June 2024 as well as the US-Cambodia Defense Policy Dialogue in October 2024 (first dialogue of this kind since 2019). Cambodia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently stressed a "revival in military cooperation" between the two countries.
2. Possible motivations for recent moves
Symbolically, the US and Cambodia are preparing to celebrate the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations in 2025.
Empirically, both nations are shifting their approaches towards each other. The US, instead of trying to eliminate China’s influence in Cambodia, is focusing on a more pragmatic approach through defense cooperation (the US proactively proposed the port call of the USS Savannah) and economic support (with the USAID announcing over $38 million in funding for Cambodia in October 2024).
Cambodia is also diplomatically reach out to the US in a proactive manner, with President Hun Manet visiting the US Embassy in 2022, hosting US defense officials, and appointing diplomats who possess positive attitudes towards Western countries.
3. Future Challenges
Nevertheless, to sustain this positive momentum, both countries must address some unresolved issues (including US sanctions on Cambodian politicians over human trafficking and fraud allegations), potential US policy shifts under Trump 2.0 or China's influence. On December 16, China criticized US port call in Cambodia, emphasizing that "security and defense cooperation should contribute to regional peace and stability instead of causing adverse impacts."
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