President Biden is set to be the first U.S. president to visit Cambodia in 10 years when he attends the ASEAN summit in November. John Ciorciari, associate dean, director of the International Policy Center and Weiser Diplomacy Center and professor of public policy, was featured on Radio Free Asia to discuss the priorities Biden needs to balance.
"Biden will be walking a fine line. (Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen will seek) a more accommodating U.S. posture on governance," he said. "Hun Sen’s government has cast aside a pretense of democracy and engaged in political abuses that require stern U.S. criticism. (But since American officials also fear) driving Cambodia even further toward Beijing, the tone of Biden’s visit may not be dramatically different than that of Obama’s.”