By P. Parameswaran
WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States is stepping up military ties with Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia as part of a deepening relationship with Southeast Asia amid competition for influence from China, officials said.
The United States and Laos, they said, plan to exchange military attaches by the end of the year as part of the strategy aimed at beefing up defense links with the trio in the heart of a once central Cold War battleground.
Three years after resuming full military ties with Indonesia soured by human rights concerns, "we are beginning to develop those same kind of ties with Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia," deputy US assistant secretary of state Scot Marciel said.
"We are starting off small -- doing some training, some exchanges which we think are very useful," he said.
"And by the end of this year, we and the Lao government will open defense attache offices in each other's capitals, which is a big step, an important step," Marciel, the US ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said at a Washington forum last week.
Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia were latecomers to ASEAN together with Myanmar.
The other ASEAN states are Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
US officials rejected any notion that the move to build military ties with Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos was to check China's rising influence in Southeast Asia, saying it was part of broadening the overall relationship.
"It doesn't really signify more than that," said a senior State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
China is rapidly building up its military and could challenge traditional US naval dominance in the region, experts say, citing among other examples, Beijing's setting up of a new underground nuclear submarine base on the southern tip of Hainan Island, close to vital sea lanes in Southeast Asia.
Unlike many other Southeast Asian states which have substantial military ties with the United States, "we havent had that so much with Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia because of the history," the State Department official said, referring to the Vietnam War.
As the conflict escalated between the United States and Vietnam, neighbors Laos and Cambodia became increasingly involved in the war.
The Ho Chi Minh Trail -- a supply route from North to South Vietnam that the United States wanted to cut -- passed through both countries.
US officials said they were looking at expanding an international military education and training program in Vietnam, now confined largely to ship visits and a modest English language teching project for Vietnamese military officers.
The former battlefield enemies exchanged defense military attaches in the mid 1990's after Hanoi cooperated in accounting for missing Americans from the Vietnam War.
US defense ties in Laos also centered on the recovery of soldiers missing.
China is fast emerging as a top economic player in Cambodia and Laos.
In Cambodia, where the 1975-1979 communist Khmer Rouge regime was backed by Beijing, China is the largest foreign donor.
"It is a fact that China is growing economically and playing a more active role in much of the world, certainly including in Southeast Asia, but we don't see this as a zero sum game," Marciel said.
The United States and Laos, they said, plan to exchange military attaches by the end of the year as part of the strategy aimed at beefing up defense links with the trio in the heart of a once central Cold War battleground.
Three years after resuming full military ties with Indonesia soured by human rights concerns, "we are beginning to develop those same kind of ties with Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia," deputy US assistant secretary of state Scot Marciel said.
"We are starting off small -- doing some training, some exchanges which we think are very useful," he said.
"And by the end of this year, we and the Lao government will open defense attache offices in each other's capitals, which is a big step, an important step," Marciel, the US ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said at a Washington forum last week.
Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia were latecomers to ASEAN together with Myanmar.
The other ASEAN states are Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
US officials rejected any notion that the move to build military ties with Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos was to check China's rising influence in Southeast Asia, saying it was part of broadening the overall relationship.
"It doesn't really signify more than that," said a senior State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
China is rapidly building up its military and could challenge traditional US naval dominance in the region, experts say, citing among other examples, Beijing's setting up of a new underground nuclear submarine base on the southern tip of Hainan Island, close to vital sea lanes in Southeast Asia.
Unlike many other Southeast Asian states which have substantial military ties with the United States, "we havent had that so much with Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia because of the history," the State Department official said, referring to the Vietnam War.
As the conflict escalated between the United States and Vietnam, neighbors Laos and Cambodia became increasingly involved in the war.
The Ho Chi Minh Trail -- a supply route from North to South Vietnam that the United States wanted to cut -- passed through both countries.
US officials said they were looking at expanding an international military education and training program in Vietnam, now confined largely to ship visits and a modest English language teching project for Vietnamese military officers.
The former battlefield enemies exchanged defense military attaches in the mid 1990's after Hanoi cooperated in accounting for missing Americans from the Vietnam War.
US defense ties in Laos also centered on the recovery of soldiers missing.
China is fast emerging as a top economic player in Cambodia and Laos.
In Cambodia, where the 1975-1979 communist Khmer Rouge regime was backed by Beijing, China is the largest foreign donor.
"It is a fact that China is growing economically and playing a more active role in much of the world, certainly including in Southeast Asia, but we don't see this as a zero sum game," Marciel said.
8 comments:
Yeah, China backed Khmer Rouge to kill our own people. But for the sake of money, who cares.
All Khmers should kiss Chinese ass for the prosperity and glory. Hahaha
The Chinese should form an alliance with the Japenese to be the world power.
Khmer ultra-nationalist
Jeyoh Federated Indochina!
Jeyoh Federated Indochina!
Jeyoh Federated Indochina!
Jeyoh Federated Indochina!
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Is this Asean Vs Indochina? Ahhahah
The fact is Malaysia and Burma have more friendly politic with Indochina than Thailame and the Thaicong will be left out in the cold! Aahahhahhah
Oh well! The Thaicong think that they are the new super power in Southeast Asia or something! I can't wait to see how the Thaicong use their new found super power? Ahahahhah
check out youtube guy on
" the betrayal of cambodia "
Gas keep going up, the recession continues to tear down this planet. Too many banks will be shut down. China sucking almost all oil from Asia to Africa to sink the US economy, and it is sinking right now.
Singapore PM said whatever happen the future of Singapore will fall to Malysia or Indonesia take it back; now since follow China since we can breath.
The US and China each attempts to replace the defeat French.
Cambodia looks good to be a pawn for these superpowers, because she has Sihanoukville easy to access to oil and Cambodia can be used to
put a ground troops to combat.
Along the coastline of Vietnam will be washed away and Vietnam will be thinner at the middle and gradually divide Vietnam into two regions. Again Vietnam at North and Laos will be become China territory; and Cambodia and South Vietnam will become the US territory.
the USA should stop supporting thailand militarily. the USA make make allies with cambodia, vietnam and laos, and cut their tie with their former ally, thailand because it is like supporting thailand illegal claim on preah vihear temple. thailand has violated not only the 1907 treaty but also the icj verdict of 1962 that confirm the internationl boundary between the two countries of cambodia and thailand. i think the USA need to reconsider their ally relation with thailand as the cold war has ended long ago and peace and prosperity has return to the so-called indochina pensinsula countries of cambodia, vietnam and laos. the USA need to include cambodia, and other southeast asian countries in their annual cobra gold military exercise in the gulf of thailand with only thailand. that was the past already; and the USA should now focus on the newly develop countries of southeast asia other than thailand. i'm so sick and tired on thailand's childish behavior with their diplomatic tactics with the rest of the world, not just with cambodia. god bless cambodia.
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