Abstract

This article focuses on the transformation of US-Cambodian relaitons during the period of 1954-1960. After Cambodia won its independence from France, it soon turned its eyes to the US for economic and military aids so as to develop national economy and maintain national independence and security. Though willing to provide aids to Cambodia, the fundamental purpose of the US is to wedge Cambodia into the anti-communist camp it had woven in the Southeast Asia. As time passed by, the divergence and conflict of purpose as to US aids to Cambodia emerged and intensified. The US couldn't put up with Cambodia's independent and neutral foreign policy, regarded the latter's foreign policy as "evil and immoral" and tried hard to change it by means of reducing aids and even plotting coups. The US didn't succeed but drived Cambodia further on its way to neutrality. As a result, the relationship between the US and Cambodia deteriorated. The transformation of US-Cambodia relations has important reflexive implications for the relations between the US and other newly-independent small countries during the Cold War period.