Cambodia cut from US military scholarship programme due to China ties

US deputy secretary of state raised ‘serious concerns’ over Chinese military presence and facilities at the Ream Naval Base at the Gulf of Thailand

Cambodian government spokesman says exclusion from the US military scholarships is akin to sanctioning Cambodian youths who love America

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West Point Military Academy in the United States is among the academies currently attended by Cambodian cadets. Photo: Shutterstock Images

Published: 7:00pm, 2 Jul 2021Updated: 7:00pm, 2 Jul 2021

Cambodia is no longer included in a United States programme providing scholarships to study at elite American military academies, the US said amid its concerns over China’s military presence in Cambodia which have led to strained relations between Washington and Phnom Penh.

Arend Zwartjes, the US embassy’s spokesman in Phnom Penh, told reporters on Thursday that Cambodia lost its eligibility for the programme “following Cambodia’s curtailment of cooperation in several areas of traditional bilateral military-to-military engagement”. Asked for further clarification on Friday, Zwartjes referred the South China Morning Post to statements he had given The Phnom Penh Post.

Six Cambodian cadets currently studying at four US military academies – including the academy at West Point – on US scholarships will be able to complete their undergraduate programmes if they or the Cambodian government can pay for their remaining tuition fees.

“The United States has encouraged the Cambodian government to assist its students with the remaining tuition costs,” Zwartjes said.

The move comes after tensions between the countries over the demolition of two US-funded buildings at Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base at the Gulf of Thailand in the southwestern South China Sea, and concerns that China – Cambodia’s ally and largest trading partner – had privileged access to the strategically located base.

In June, US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman raised “serious concerns” during a trip to Cambodia over the Chinese military presence and construction of facilities at the base. She said a Chinese military base in the country would threaten regional security and hurt ties between the US and Cambodia.

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