Cambodia to Resume Joint Military Exercises with US
Drills, suspended in 2017, will restart early next year amid US concerns over Cambodia's China ties.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
The U.S. warship USS Cincinnati docks upon arrival at Ream Naval Base in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith, File)
Photograph: Associated Press News (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Cambodia's army will restart joint military exercises with the United States in February next year.
- The exercises, named 'Exercise Angkor Sentinel 2027,' were suspended in 2017.
- The resumption follows recent meetings between defence officials from both countries.
- The United States has expressed concerns about Cambodia's close ties with China and its human rights record.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 33 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 46 of the 79 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
70/100
Craft
75/100
Hype
10/100
79 sources · methodology
Missing from the left
Only 4 of the 33 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated left.
A reader who follows the left would not have seen this. We report the absence rather than explain it: outlets choose what to cover for many reasons, and we have no evidence about which one applies here.
Cambodia's army announced on Friday that it will resume joint military exercises with the United States early next year. The drills, known as 'Exercise Angkor Sentinel 2027,' are scheduled to take place in February. These exercises had been suspended in 2017. The announcement came after several recent meetings between senior defence and other officials from both nations, aimed at improving relations.
The United States has voiced concerns regarding Cambodia's close economic and political connections with China, as well as China's military presence at a Cambodian naval base. Washington has also been critical of Cambodia's human rights record. Cambodian officials have consistently denied suspicions that China has been granted special privileges at the naval base.
Coverage comparison
The Hindustan Times and Associated Press News, which published full reports, stated the exercises aim to strengthen interoperability and disaster-response capabilities, reflecting renewed momentum in military cooperation. Both outlets noted that Cambodia halted such exercises with the U.S. in 2017. The Hindustan Times reported that Prime Minister Hun Manet held talks on 14 August with Elbridge A. Colby, Under Secretary for Policy at the U.S. Department of War, regarding bilateral relations and the resumption of military exercises. Associated Press News also mentioned this meeting and quoted Hun Manet saying he was satisfied with the positive momentum in Cambodia-U.S. relations.
Omissions
None of the right-rated digests mention the U.S. concerns about Cambodia's human rights record or the specific name of the joint military exercise, 'Exercise Angkor Sentinel 2027'.
Coverage settled. We checked this 107 times and stopped on 9 Sept 2026, 21:15. The figures above are what it finished at.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
4 rated outlets
- Five left-rated reports stated that Cambodia's army will resume joint military exercises with the United States early next year after a decade-long suspension. These reports included the full accounts from Associated Press News and The Independent. The Associated Press report noted that the announcement came after recent meetings of top defence officials and mentioned Washington's concerns about Cambodia's close economic and political ties with China, as well as its human rights record. The Independent's digest also mentioned the suspension and recent meetings.
Centre
13 rated outlets
- Three centre-rated reports, including a full report from The Hindustan Times, stated that Cambodia's army will resume joint military exercises with the United States early next year after they had been suspended for almost a decade. The Hindustan Times report detailed recent meetings between Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and U.S. officials, including Elbridge A. Colby, and noted U.S. concerns about China's military presence at a Cambodian navy base and Cambodia's human rights record. Newsday and My Mother Lode digests also reported the resumption of exercises and the suspension.
Right
16 rated outlets
- The Messenger, the Batesville Daily Guard, the Jonesboro Sun and regionalmedianews.com each reported that Cambodia’s army announced on Friday it will resume joint military exercises with the United States early next year after a suspension of about ten years. Their digests note the announcement followed recent senior‑official meetings aimed at improving bilateral relations.
- The Epoch Times digest included a reference to U.S. Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby speaking at a NATO ministers‑of‑defence summit in Brussels, suggesting a broader strategic context. regionalmedianews.com identified the source of the announcement as a post on the Royal Cambodian Army’s Facebook page and cited an Associated Press report from Phnom Penh.
- None of the right‑rated digests (The Messenger, the Batesville Daily Guard, the Epoch Times, the Jonesboro Sun, regionalmedianews.com) mention any cost estimate, security‑risk assessment, or reactions from Cambodian opposition parties or U.S. congressional committees. The absence of these details is consistent across all five summaries.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Cambodia to Resume Joint Military Exercises with US?
- Of the 33 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 12% are rated left, 39% are rated centre, 49% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 79. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Cambodia to Resume Joint Military Exercises with US left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 33 rated outlets on this story, 12% are rated left, 39% are rated centre, 49% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of Cambodia to Resume Joint Military Exercises with US biased?
- Cambodia to Resume Joint Military Exercises with US is one event reported by 79 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting Cambodia to Resume Joint Military Exercises with US?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated left had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered Cambodia to Resume Joint Military Exercises with US?
- 79 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- When will Cambodia and the US resume joint military exercises?
- Cambodia's army announced that joint military exercises with the United States will resume early next year, specifically in February. These drills, named 'Exercise Angkor Sentinel 2027,' were previously suspended in 2017.
- Why were the joint military exercises suspended?
- The joint military exercises between Cambodia and the United States were suspended in 2017. The resumption follows recent high-level meetings aimed at improving bilateral relations, though underlying concerns from the U.S. persist.
- What are the US concerns regarding Cambodia?
- The United States has expressed concerns about Cambodia's close economic and political ties with China, including China's military presence at a Cambodian navy base. The U.S. has also been critical of Cambodia's human rights record.
Read it at the source
102 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
13- North Korea’s new defense minister warns U.S., vows punishment (opens The Seattle Times in a new tab)
The Seattle Times — is The Seattle Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- South Korea-U.S.-Japan Multi-Domain Exercise ‘Freedom Edge’ to Run From the 7th to the 11th… U.S. Aircraft Carriers Absent (opens 한겨레 in a new tab)
한겨레
- South Korea, the United States and Japan Are Starting Joint Military Exercises. (opens SANA in a new tab)
- S. Korea, US, Japan kick off 3-way military exercise (opens The Korea Times in a new tab)
The Korea Times — is The Korea Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Cambodia’s army to resume joint military exercises with the US next year (opens Goshen News in a new tab)
Goshen News — is Goshen News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Cambodia’s army to resume joint military exercises with the US next year (opens The Independent (US) in a new tab)
The Independent (US) — is The Independent (US) biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Cambodia’s army to resume joint military exercises with the US next year (opens The Independent in a new tab)
The Independent — is The Independent biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Cambodia’s army to resume joint military exercises with the US next year (opens The Washington Post in a new tab)
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Show 5 more
- Cambodia’s army to resume joint military exercises with the US next year (opens The Seattle Times in a new tab)
The Seattle Times
- Cambodia’s army to resume joint military exercises with the US next year (opens ABC News in a new tab)
- Cambodia’s army to resume joint military exercises with the US next year (opens Associated Press News in a new tab)
Associated Press News — is Associated Press News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Cambodia’s army to resume joint military exercises with the US next year (opens The Record in a new tab)
The Record — is The Record biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Cambodia’s army to resume joint military exercises with the US next year (opens The Hamilton Spectator in a new tab)
The Hamilton Spectator — is The Hamilton Spectator biased? Our profile of this outlet
Centre
20- North Korean defense chief warns of ‘powerful’ response to US-ROK-Japan drills (opens NK News in a new tab)
- North Korea’s New Defense Minister Warns US Over Military Drills (opens Live Mint in a new tab)
- North Korean Defense Minister Criticizes Joint Military Exercises Between Japan, the US, and South Korea. (opens cedarnews.net in a new tab)
cedarnews.net — is cedarnews.net biased? Our profile of this outlet
- North Korean defence minister criticizes joint military drills ... (opens Reuters in a new tab)
- North Korea threatens with 'countermeasures' as US, Japan, South Korea hold joint military drill (opens Jerusalem Post in a new tab)
Jerusalem Post — is Jerusalem Post biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Tensions Rise as North Korea Decries Joint Drills (opens Devdiscourse in a new tab)
Devdiscourse — is Devdiscourse biased? Our profile of this outlet
- North Korean defence minister criticizes joint military drills by US, Japan and South Korea (opens WTVB in a new tab)
- North Korea to Take Countermeasures Against South Korea-U.S.-Japan ‘Freedom Edge’ Exercise (opens Naver in a new tab)
Show 12 more
- US, South Korea, Japan kick off 3-way military exercise (opens North Korea Times in a new tab)
North Korea Times — is North Korea Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- US, South Korea and Japan begin five-day military exercise (opens TRT World in a new tab)
- Major Military Exercise Shot Under Way (opens Ekstra Bladet in a new tab)
Ekstra Bladet — is Ekstra Bladet biased? Our profile of this outlet
- URGENT: Japan, S. Korea, U.S. forces start joint exercise, rapped by N. Korea (opens Kyodo News+ in a new tab)
Kyodo News+ — is Kyodo News+ biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Naval Exercises Begin in South Korea Today (opens yle in a new tab)
- Cambodia’s army to resume joint military exercises with the US next year (opens TelegraphHerald.com in a new tab)
TelegraphHerald.com — is TelegraphHerald.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Cambodia’s army to resume joint military exercises with the US next year (opens Hindustan Times in a new tab)
Hindustan Times — is Hindustan Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Cambodia’s army to resume joint military exercises with the US next year (opens Chronicle Online in a new tab)
Chronicle Online — is Chronicle Online biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Cambodia’s army to resume joint military exercises with the US next year (opens Ottumwa Courier in a new tab)
Ottumwa Courier — is Ottumwa Courier biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Cambodia’s army to resume joint military exercises with the US next year (opens My Mother Lode in a new tab)
My Mother Lode — is My Mother Lode biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Cambodia's army to resume joint military exercises with the US next year (opens Newsday in a new tab)
- Cambodia’s army to resume joint military exercises with the US next year (opens Winnipeg Free Press in a new tab)
Winnipeg Free Press — is Winnipeg Free Press biased? Our profile of this outlet
Right
21- Is Washington Sacrificing Deterrence on the Korean Peninsula for Diplomacy with Pyongyang? (opens Modern Diplomacy in a new tab)
Modern Diplomacy — is Modern Diplomacy biased? Our profile of this outlet
- South Korea, the United States, and Japan Have Launched a Five-Day Trilateral Military Exercise, Emphasizing Their Response to the North Korean Nuclear Threat. (opens thairath.co.th in a new tab)
thairath.co.th — is thairath.co.th biased? Our profile of this outlet
- North Korea's new defence minister threatens 'powerful' retaliation' over US-South Korea military drills (opens CNBC-TV18 in a new tab)
- North Korea criticizes joint military drills by US, Japan and South Korea (opens anews.com.tr in a new tab)
anews.com.tr — is anews.com.tr biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pyongyang Warned of Severe Measures in Response to US, Japanese, and South Korean Teachings. (opens Interfax.ru in a new tab)
Interfax.ru — is Interfax.ru biased? Our profile of this outlet
- North Korean defence minister criticizes joint military drills by US, Japan and South Korea (opens The Straits Times in a new tab)
The Straits Times — is The Straits Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- North Korean Defense Minister Opposes South Korea-U.S.-Japan ‘Freedom Edge’ Exercise… “Will Respond Strongly” (opens 조선일보 in a new tab)
조선일보
- US, South Korea, Japan Kick off 3-way Military Exercise (opens Latestly in a new tab)
Show 13 more
- US, South Korea, Japan kick off 3-way military exercise - The Tribune (opens Tribune India in a new tab)
Tribune India — is Tribune India biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Joint Drills Between South Korea, the US and Japan Begin (opens Mehr News Agency in a new tab)
Mehr News Agency — is Mehr News Agency biased? Our profile of this outlet
- US, South Korea and Japan kick off 5-day joint military exercise (opens Anadolu Ajansı in a new tab)
Anadolu Ajansı — is Anadolu Ajansı biased? Our profile of this outlet
- South Korea Begins Five-Day Military Drills with US and Japan (opens berlingske.dk in a new tab)
berlingske.dk — is berlingske.dk biased? Our profile of this outlet
- South Korea Begins Five-Day Military Drills with US and Japan (opens BT in a new tab)
- The Republic of Korea, the United States and Japan have launched Freedom Edge naval exercises, Yonhap news agency reported (opens news-pravda.com in a new tab)
news-pravda.com — is news-pravda.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- South Korea, the United States and Japan Have Begun the Fredom Edge Maritime Exercise. (opens vz.ru in a new tab)
- South Korea, the U.S., and Japan Begin Multi-Domain Exercise 'Freedom Edge' Today... Aegis Destroyeres From Three Nations Participate (opens 연합뉴스-Yonhap News Agency in a new tab)
연합뉴스-Yonhap News Agency — is 연합뉴스-Yonhap News Agency biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Cambodia, US Begin Planning for Resumption of Military Exercises in 2027, Says Cambodian Army (opens The Epoch Times in a new tab)
The Epoch Times — is The Epoch Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Cambodia’s army to resume joint military exercises with the US next year - Regional Media News (opens regionalmedianews.com in a new tab)
regionalmedianews.com — is regionalmedianews.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Cambodia’s army to resume joint military exercises with the US next year (opens Jonesboro Sun in a new tab)
Jonesboro Sun — is Jonesboro Sun biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Cambodia’s army to resume joint military exercises with the US next year (opens The Batesville Daily Guard in a new tab)
The Batesville Daily Guard — is The Batesville Daily Guard biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Cambodia’s army to resume joint military exercises with the US next year (opens The Messenger in a new tab)
The Messenger — is The Messenger biased? Our profile of this outlet
Not rated
48- The US-South Korea-Japan wargames offer a glimpse of Washington’s real plan for Asia - The Press United (opens ThePress United in a new tab)
ThePress United — is ThePress United biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- The US-South Korea-Japan wargames offer a glimpse of Washington’s real plan for Asia (opens RT International in a new tab)
RT International — is RT International biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- North Korea Accuses Japan of Boosting Combat Capabilities (opens express.pk in a new tab)
express.pk — is express.pk biased? Our profile of this outlet
- North Korea Threatens Countermeasures to Seoul, Washington, and Tokyo Military Exercises · Global Voices (opens RPP in a new tab)
- North Korea Criticizes US Military Drills, Warns of Strong Response (opens Udaipur News in a new tab)
Udaipur News — is Udaipur News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- North Korea Threatens Countermeasures to Seoul, Washington, and Tokyo Military Exercises - Mexico's Sun · Global Voices (opens oem.com.mx in a new tab)
oem.com.mx — is oem.com.mx biased? Our profile of this outlet
- North Korea Challenged the United States, Japan and South Korea: “We’ll Take Strong Action” - Daily Panorama (opens diariopanorama.com in a new tab)
diariopanorama.com — is diariopanorama.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- US, South Korea and Japan Begin Joint War Games (opens Aletho News in a new tab)
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Show 40 more
- The New DPRK Defense Chief Sent a Sharp Message to the US: He Considers Military Exercises a Rehearsal for Invasion (opens topky.sk in a new tab)
- North Korea Condemns US Drills with Allies, Threatens Countermeasures (opens Aktuálně.cz in a new tab)
Aktuálně.cz — is Aktuálně.cz biased? Our profile of this outlet
- North Korea: Joint Military Exercises Between the US, Japan and South Korea Are a "Provocation" (opens LiFO in a new tab)
- North Korea Critics Exercises Between U.S., South Korea, and Japan (opens CNN Brasil in a new tab)
CNN Brasil — is CNN Brasil biased? Our profile of this outlet
- South Korea, U.S., and Japan Strengthen Security with Major Joint Military Drills (opens MondialNews in a new tab)
MondialNews — is MondialNews biased? Our profile of this outlet
- North Korea: Joint Exercises Between the US, South Korea and Japan Are a "Provocation" - Threatens Proportionate Countermeasures (opens thepressroom.gr in a new tab)
thepressroom.gr — is thepressroom.gr biased? Our profile of this outlet
- North Korea Criticizes Joint Military Exercises Between US, Japan and South Korea (opens CNN Greece in a new tab)
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- Pyongyang: Joint Military Exercises Between the US, Japan and South Korea Are a Challenge (opens insider.gr in a new tab)
insider.gr — is insider.gr biased? Our profile of this outlet
- North Korea: Defense Minister Criticizes Joint Military Exercises Between US, Japan and South Korea (opens Capital.gr in a new tab)
Capital.gr — is Capital.gr biased? Our profile of this outlet
- The US, Japan, and South Korea Launched the "Freedom of the Open Sky" Joint Military Exercise; North Korea Strongly Criticized It, Stating It "Approaches the Ultimate Major Security threat." (opens i-cable.com in a new tab)
i-cable.com — is i-cable.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- North Korea Calls Joint South Korea-Japan-US Military Exercises a "Challenge" (opens ertnews.gr in a new tab)
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- North Korea: Defense Ministry Criticizes US, Japan, South Korean Exercises (opens Business Daily in a new tab)
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- North Korean Defense Minister: If the US and Its Allies Are Seeking a New Military Conflict, We Will Take Strong Countermeasures. (opens anlatilaninotesi.com.tr in a new tab)
anlatilaninotesi.com.tr — is anlatilaninotesi.com.tr biased? Our profile of this outlet
- North Korea's Warning to the US (opens fararu.com in a new tab)
fararu.com — is fararu.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- (URGENT) N. Korea condemns trilateral exercise of S. Korea, U.S., Japan (opens korean-vibe.com in a new tab)
korean-vibe.com — is korean-vibe.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Japan, the US, and South Korea Begin Joint Military Exercise "Freedom Edge" in the East China Sea and Other Areas Until the 11th; Possibly Targeting North Korea and China (opens FNN.jpプライムオンライン in a new tab)
FNN.jpプライムオンライン — is FNN.jpプライムオンライン biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Japan, the US, and South Korea Begin "Freedom Edge" Exercises; Scale Not Reduced. (opens 大紀元時報 in a new tab)
大紀元時報
- The US, Japan, and South Korea Launched the "Freedom Blade" Military Exercise, Maintaining Its Scale. (opens 大纪元 Epoch Times in a new tab)
大纪元 Epoch Times — is 大纪元 Epoch Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- A Show of Force Against North Korea! Joint Military Exercises by 3 Countries, Including the US. (opens Akşam in a new tab)
- South Korea, the US, and Japan Conduct 'Freedom Edge' Exercise. (opens Haberler in a new tab)
- US, South Korea, Japan Kick Off 5-Day Joint Military Exercise (opens islamtimes.com in a new tab)
islamtimes.com — is islamtimes.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- US, South Korea, Japan kick off 3-way military exercise (opens The Munsif Daily in a new tab)
The Munsif Daily — is The Munsif Daily biased? Our profile of this outlet
- South Korea, the US and Japan Began Five-Day Freedom Edge Exercises (opens Defence24 in a new tab)
- Joint Drills Between South Korea, the US and Japan Begin (opens tabnak.ir in a new tab)
- South Korea-US-Japan Start Trilateral Military Drills on Jeju Island (opens vietnamplus.vn in a new tab)
vietnamplus.vn — is vietnamplus.vn biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 5-Day Military Exercises Between South Korea, the US and Japan Begin (opens asriran.com in a new tab)
asriran.com — is asriran.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 5-Day Military Exercises Between South Korea, the US and Japan Begin (opens Unknown in a new tab)
Unknown
- The Republic of Korea, the United States and Japan Launched Naval Military Exercises (opens belta.by in a new tab)
- Freedom Edge 2026 Opening Ceremony Marks Start of Trilateral Exercise (opens DVIDS in a new tab)
- US, South Korea and Japan Begin Large Military Drills in Response to Threats From North Korea (opens Aktuality.sk in a new tab)
Aktuality.sk — is Aktuality.sk biased? Our profile of this outlet
- South Korea Begins Five-Day Military Drills with US and Japan (opens avisendanmark.dk in a new tab)
avisendanmark.dk — is avisendanmark.dk biased? Our profile of this outlet
- South Korea, US and Japan Begin Five-Day Freedom Edge Military Exercise (opens Hospodárske Noviny in a new tab)
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- US, South Korea, Japan kick off 3-way military exercise (opens Indian Abroad News in a new tab)
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- US, South Korea, Japan kick off 3-way military exercise (opens bhaskarlive.in in a new tab)
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- South Korea, US and Japan Begin Military Exercises (opens Apa in a new tab)
- "U.S.-South Korea-Japan 'Freedom Edge' Joint Exercise Begins..."Defense Training to Respond to North Korean Nuclear and Missile Threats" (opens voakorea.com in a new tab)
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- US, Japan, S. Korea launch joint drills (opens BizToc in a new tab)
- US, South Korea, Japan kick off 3-way military exercise (opens Social News XYZ in a new tab)
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- Cambodia’s army to resume joint military exercises with the US next year (opens Khaosod English in a new tab)
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- Cambodia’s army to resume joint military exercises with the US next year - THE LOCAL REPORT ARTICLES (opens Thelocalreport.in in a new tab)
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