Phnom Penh, Cambodia CNN —US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin traveled to Cambodia on Tuesday to meet with the country’s prime minister and defense minister, as Washington becomes increasingly concerned that Phnom Penh may grant China’s military exclusive access to a key naval base. Austin’s trip to the Cambodian capital marks his second visit to the Southeast Asian country as Secretary of Defense but is the first time a United States defense chief has traveled to Cambodia specifically to hold a bilateral meeting with his counterpart, Defense Minister Tea Seiha. The outreach reflects the US’ desire to forge a better relationship with Cambodia, defense officials said, particularly as Beijing’s influence over the country has only continued to grow in recent years. “There are no doubts about where our concerns are,” a Pentagon spokesperson said following Austin’s meetings, when asked about Ream. In a meeting with China’s Defense Minister Dong Jun last week, their first face-to-face, Austin said the US wants to keep military-to-military channels open with the Chinese to avoid misunderstandings and escalation.

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