China is quietly drawing Cambodia into an ever closer military and diplomatic embrace, as part of its effort to quell regional opposition to its sea territory claims across Asia.
As Southeast Asian states prepare for a crucial regional summit next week in Laos, Phnom Penh has emerged as Beijing’s staunchest local ally — both politically and through strategic projects such as a deepwater port on Cambodia’s coast that is close to completion.
The deepening of China’s historical ties with the government of Hun Sen, Cambodia’s autocratic prime minister of 31 years, is likely to raise concerns in Washington and among the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) at its Laos meeting.
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