[Vietnamization: China responds] Cambodia to boost military ties to China

Military personnel stand next to vehicles donated by China last year in during a handover ceremony in Kampong Speu province. Photo supplied

Cambodia to boost military ties to China

Phnom Penh Post | 17 October 2016

Cambodia and China have vowed to take their collaboration on military affairs to a “new height”, according to China’s Ministry of National Defence.

The commitment was made during a meeting between Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh and General Fan Changlong, vice chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, in Beijing on Thursday.

Chhum Socheat, spokesman for the Ministry of Defence in Cambodia, said officials will look for ways to strengthen existing cooperation that goes back to 2006, when China began supporting a military academy in Cambodia.

Students earning a bachelor’s degree in military science are trained for three years in the Kingdom, and for their fourth year, travel to China for infantry training.

About 1,000 Cambodian officers have been trained in China thus far, Socheat said. China has provided military training and equipment to Cambodia in the past as well, he added.

Cheng Hongbo, chief political officer for the Chinese Embassy in Phnom Penh, said he didn’t have any specific details of how exactly both countries would strengthen their military ties.