Christopher Anderson, President Donald Trump's nominee for the post of US Ambassador to Cambodia, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday that dismantling cyber scam compounds operating across Southeast Asia would be his foremost priority if confirmed, while also pledging to counter China's deepening footprint in the region and strengthen bilateral ties with Phnom Penh.

Cyber Scams Top the Agenda

Anderson, who currently serves as a national security adviser to Senator Steve Daines, made clear that tackling online fraud networks would define his tenure. 'My top priority would be dismantling online scams and the criminal networks behind them,' he said at his confirmation hearing. 'These operations have stolen tens of billions of dollars from American citizens. If confirmed, I will work with Cambodian counterparts and regional partners to deliver results.'

He acknowledged that eliminating these networks would require coordinated action across multiple US agencies and governments in the region. 'It'll be State Department, Department of Justice, Department of War, and then our regional allies to really attack the scam centres,' Anderson said. He added that dismantling the compounds would also reduce demand for human trafficking directly linked to these criminal operations — a secondary consequence that has drawn international concern.

Framing the US-Cambodia Relationship

Anderson characterised the current state of US-Cambodia relations as meaningfully improved, saying the bilateral relationship was 'fundamentally in a stronger place than it was a few years ago.' He credited President Trump with helping broker a ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand, which he described as opening 'a new chapter' in ties between the two countries.

The nominee argued that Cambodia had 'the opportunity to be a growing partner, not a strategic vulnerability,' and outlined plans to advance US interests through stronger security cooperation, economic engagement, and regional partnerships. He also cited the Mekong-US Partnership as an important platform for economic and natural resource cooperation, noting that Washington should continue working with partners including Japan to strengthen development initiatives across mainland Southeast Asia.

China's Shadow Over Ream Naval Base

Senators pressed Anderson on China's expanding influence in Cambodia, particularly regarding the Ream Naval Base — a facility whose development has drawn sustained scrutiny from Washington over alleged Chinese involvement. Anderson said engagement with Phnom Penh would be essential to ensuring Cambodia did not become overly reliant on Beijing.

'I think the first part of answering your question is engagement,' he said. 'If confirmed, it will rely on me to sit down and have frank conversations of the reality of Ream Naval Base and if it truly is, as it says, open to all friendly nations.' He suggested that such dialogue could create openings for additional visits by US naval vessels to the base.

Investment Climate and Economic Ties

On the economic front, Anderson argued that a more predictable investment environment would be critical to encouraging greater American business activity in Cambodia. 'The goal would be to work together again, engagement, engagement with Cambodia to provide a predictable outlook for the future,' he said, pointing to recent trade agreements and bilateral initiatives as a foundation for deeper commercial ties.

With his confirmation still pending, Anderson's testimony signals that a confirmed US ambassador to Cambodia would pursue an agenda spanning counter-fraud operations, strategic competition with China, and economic partnership — a broad mandate that reflects Cambodia's rising importance in the broader Indo-Pacific calculus.