The US defense secretary will visit Cambodia, one of China’s closest allies, after regional talks

FILE – U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, center, Vietnam Minister of Defense Phan Van Giang, right, and Thai Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, left, listen to a speech by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, during the 9th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus in Siem Reap, Cambodia, Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is scheduled to make an official visit to Cambodia, one of China’s closest allies in Southeast Asia, after holding talks with his Chinese counterpart at an annual security conference in Singapore, officials said in a statement issued Friday, May 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith,…