The head of Cambodia’s defence ministry has reiterated that Cambodia will welcome any nation that wishes to support the Kingdom’s military through joint exercises. The Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) recently concluded naval drills with close ally China.

The twelve-day “2024 Golden Dragon” joint exercises, held under the theme “Joint counter-terrorism operations and humanitarian relief”, concluded in late May. 

Ahead of the drills, the recent presence of two Chinese naval vessels at the Ream naval in Preah Sihanouk province raised concerns in some international media outlets, but the purpose of their visit was clarified by Minister of National Defence Tea Seiha.

He acknowledged that there had been some “misunderstandings” and “suspicions” about the presence of Chinese military personnel and their warships.

“China came to assist us with the modernisation of our military and the use of the new equipment we have purchased for the defence sector,” he explained, as he addressed a discussion on “Building Cooperative Security in the Asia-Pacific”, held on the sidelines of the Shangri-La dialogue defence summit in Singapore on June 1.

“We need clear instruction so our officers and men can deploy our new equipment. The Ream Naval Base is equipped with modern technology and we need to train our own instructors so we can use the new technology to protect our maritime boundaries and territorial integrity,” he said, while answering a question from a Japanese participant. 

He said the Kingdom has no intention to violate the territory of any other country, adding that it does not and will not permit the presence of any foreign military base on its territory, as is clearly stated in its constitution.

“There is no permanent Chinese military base at naval base. I would like you to understand that our military needs modernisation and training. This is not exclusively from China, we would fully welcome any other country that wants to assist us with training or joint exercises,” explained Seiha, who also serves as a deputy prime minister. 

He noted that the Kingdom will continue to organise other military drills from year to year, adding that it wants to increase joint exercises with friendly nations. He explained that once the modernisation of the Ream naval base is complete, there will be nothing to hide from friendly countries.

“We seek your understanding. The Ream naval base belongs to the Royal Cambodian Navy. Some of the areas are exclusive to the Royal Cambodian Navy. We cannot totally open everything for every country around the world to come and see,” he said.

Thong Mengdavid, a lecturer at the Royal University of Phnom Penh’s Institute for International Studies, explained that as a sovereign nation, Cambodia promotes international cooperation, peace, and security, and welcomes all friendly countries, including China, to participate in joint military drills as part of bilateral or regional cooperation. 

“Cambodia’s military exercises aim to strengthen and enhance its military personnel and capabilities to preserve and maintain regional and national security, not to distance Cambodia from China or threaten other countries,” he told The Post on May 3.

“Cambodia is obligated to guarantee that national security, state survival, and peace are at the centre of its foreign policy, while advocating for rule-based international law. This is especially crucial in the context of an unstable geopolitical landscape, fragile peace, and threats to the international system from protectionism, geopolitical competition, and rising tensions among major powers,” he noted.