Cambodia's shift towards India for defence support signals caution over China's ambitions
India's status as a middle power aligns with Cambodia's need to diversify relations from Beijing, with the latest bid by New Delhi to boost defence ties with the Southeast Asian nation seen as part of long-standing efforts to counter Chinese influence in the region.
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At talks between Cambodian Minister of National Defence General Tea Seiha and Indian Ambassador to Cambodia Vanlalvawna Bawitlung last Monday in Phnom Penh, both countries pledged to strengthen security cooperation.
On top of appointing a defence attaché, India also plans to open a defence office in Cambodia, building on the Cambodia-India Bilateral Army Exercise (Cinbax-I) conducted last year and its ongoing training of personnel for the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces.
In February, the Indian Navy's First Squadron arrived at Sihanoukville Port in Cambodia to strengthen cooperation between the two navies.
Crew members on board the new naval combatant INS Surat, a stealth guided missile destroyer of the Indian Navy, on January 11. Photo: AFP
Abdul Rahman Yaacob, a research fellow at the Lowy Institute's Southeast Asia programme, said India had a strategic interest in balancing China's influence – especially in the maritime domain – in Southeast Asia.
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