A U.S. Navy warship will make a port call next week in Cambodia, China's close ally in Southeast Asia, the first such visit in eight years, according to a Cambodian statement on Friday.
Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defense said USS Savannah will dock at the port of Sihanoukville on the Gulf of Thailand on Dec. 16-20. Savannah, classed as a Littoral Combat Ship, carries a crew of 103, the ministry said.
The visit was scheduled after a U.S. request for a port call, it added, and would “strengthen and expand the bonds of friendship as well as promote bilateral cooperation" between the two nations.
Relations have long been rocky and Washington has criticized Cambodia's government for political repression and human rights violations. The U.S. has also been concerned about the upgrading of a Cambodian naval base near Sihanoukville, which it believes will be utilized by Chinese vessels to serve Beijing’s strategic interests in the region.
Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defense said USS Savannah will dock at the port of Sihanoukville on the Gulf of Thailand on Dec. 16-20. Savannah, classed as a Littoral Combat Ship, carries a crew of 103, the ministry said.
The visit was scheduled after a U.S. request for a port call, it added, and would “strengthen and expand the bonds of friendship as well as promote bilateral cooperation" between the two nations.
Relations have long been rocky and Washington has criticized Cambodia's government for political repression and human rights violations. The U.S. has also been concerned about the upgrading of a Cambodian naval base near Sihanoukville, which it believes will be utilized by Chinese vessels to serve Beijing’s strategic interests in the region.
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