Japan-Cambodia agree to cooperate against aggressive Chinese activities

Nam Penh/Tokyo: Japan and Cambodia have agreed on cooperation against aggressive Chinese activities in the South China Sea and the Indo-Pacific sector. The joint statement issued by both the countries also informed that implementation of the RCEP agreement signed between ASEAN and five other countries was also discussed during the meeting. Over the last few years, China has increased trade and military cooperation with Cambodia and is trying to set up defence bases in Cambodia. Against this background, the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kashida and the concurrence against Chinese activities become significant.

Moreover, the ASEAN countries have started retaliating strongly against the Chinese expansionist activities in the South China Sea and the surrounding regions. Countries like Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore have defied the Chinese pressure to formulate their policies. Against this background, China has increased its closeness with Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar to initiate moves to pressurise the ASEAN countries.

It is claimed that China and Cambodia signed a secret defence deal in the last decade. As per the agreement, Cambodia has allowed its naval base to be used as a Chinese defence base. In exchange, China will supply defence systems and make huge investments in the infrastructure sector. Senior US official Wendy Sherman had visited Cambodia the last year. Sherman had questioned the Chinese activities in this visit. After that, the Japanese Prime Minister has now visited Cambodia, cautioning about the Chinese activities. The Japanese media claimed that Cambodia reassured Japan on the Chinese issue after the Japanese Prime Minister adopted an aggressive stand. It is said that Japan lambasted Cambodia even on the Myanmar-ASEAN talks and China. Japan announced large scale financial assistance and a gift of Coronavirus vaccines for Cambodia.