The first batch of Chinese naval vessels has made its debut at Cambodia's expanded Ream naval base, stirring up a wave of concern in the United States.
On Sunday, Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Seiha, accompanied by his father and predecessor Tea Banh, visited a Chinese warship from the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), which had docked at the Ream port. Although the Chinese military was not explicitly mentioned in the post, two frigates from the PLAN could be seen docked side by side in the accompanying photo. Tea Banh inspected a group of Chinese naval officers aboard one of the frigates.
According to the article, these ships were preparing for the training of the Cambodian Navy. Other photos show the father and son inspecting the construction site and examining the plans for the project.
Colin Coe, a researcher at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, noted that this was the first time a PLAN ship had docked at the port, which was previously used exclusively by the Cambodian Navy for small patrol boats.
"This is a signal that Yuengling is almost complete," Coe said. "Although their work is still ongoing, the base has now been expanded to the point where it can accommodate foreign naval vessels."
John Bradford, CEO of the Asia-Pacific Research Council in Yokosuka, commented that it was not surprising to see Chinese ships as the first to visit the upgraded base, given that the expansion was financed by China and Kambodscha was a close ally.
"In the end, these facilities will be used by the Chinese," Bradford said.
The visit of the Chinese warship coincided with a high-level Chinese general's visit to Phnom Penh, where he praised China and Cambodia as "true iron friends." He Weidong, deputy chairman of China's Central Military Commission, told Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen that military cooperation between the two countries would continue at a high level, including exchanges at a high level, the establishment of mechanisms, and joint exercises and training.
According to the Chinese version of the meeting, military officials from both sides discussed "bilateral relations, military cooperation, and issues of mutual interest." However, the Chinese warship was not mentioned in this context.
CNN asked the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment.
A spokesman for the U.S. State Department told Reuters that Washington was monitoring reports of Chinese warships. "Although we cannot comment on this specific development, we are concerned about China's plans to take exclusive control over parts of the Ream Naval Base," the official said, using China's official name, the People's Republic of China.
A photo shows the former Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Banh inspecting Chinese naval officers on board a Chinese frigate at the Ream Naval Base.
US Worries Grow
The unprecedented presence of Chinese naval ships at the Ream Naval Base, which is strategically located at the southern tip of Cambodia near the South China Sea, may further fuel the long-standing concerns of US officials that China is attempting to establish military outposts in Cambodia and in the Gulf of Thailand.
These concerns were exacerbated in June when Chinese and Cambodian officials announced the launch of a project to renovate the Ream port with free Chinese assistance.
Cambodian officials have consistently denied that the base is being used by China as a military staging area and have insisted that the project is in compliance with the Cambodian Constitution, which prohibits foreign countries from establishing military bases on Cambodian territory. Chinese officials, on the other hand, have described the base as "aid projects" to strengthen the Cambodian Navy and dismissed Western concerns as "hype" and "misinformation."
The expansion of the Ream naval base is particularly concerning for the United States, as it could lead to the erosion of U.S.-funded infrastructure in the region and may be partially a result of growing relations between Cambodia and China. Bradford, who attended the conference in Yokosuka, expressed this concern.
"For some, the arrival of Chinese warships in Yuengling sounded the alarm bells. This revelation exposed China's long-hidden military objectives and marked a significant development in China's regional defense strategy," said Craig Singleton, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington, DC, who wrote an analysis earlier this year on China's push to gain access to overseas ports.
Singleton said the presence of Chinese warships at the Ream naval base was part of a broader plan to complicate U.S. military calculations and create a framework for supporting Taiwan's defense efforts if China invades the island.
"By establishing closer military ties and economic dependencies with certain countries along strategic sea lanes, China can exert diplomatic pressure on them and hinder developments in the United States. It can also create a foundation for supporting Taiwan's defense efforts if China invades the island," Singleton said.
The Ream naval base, along with China's only overseas military base in Djibouti, Africa, represents not only an economically effective expansion of China's defense territory but also a deliberate and determined repositioning with potentially serious consequences for Washington and its allies.
Other experts noted, however, that the level of Chinese access to the Ream naval base is significantly different from that of China's base in Djibouti, where Chinese troops are permanently stationed in land-based facilities. Koh of RSIS said that a similar arrangement in Ream would violate the Cambodian Constitution.
"It is important to note that there are many other forms of visits that are not equivalent to establishing a base," Koh said. "Such as assigning specific docks for the use of the Chinese Navy or guaranteeing that the Chinese Navy can berth there when they visit."
"I believe it is an exaggeration to say that this is a base for the Chinese," Koh said, adding that Cambodia appeared to be open to allowing other foreign military visits to the base – a move seen as part of its efforts to counter allegations that it had granted China exclusive access to the base. In March last year, a Japanese naval delegation visited the base.
"Until we see in the future if Cambodia only allows the Chinese Navy to berth at the base or if they allow other foreign navies to berth, we cannot definitively say that the base is only for the Chinese," Koh said.
Military implications
However, even if the Ream naval base is not exclusively for the Chinese Navy, its regular access could have implications for military operations related to the South China Sea dispute between China and Southeast Asian claimants.
Beijing claims "uncontested sovereignty" over almost the entire South China Sea and most of its islands and reefs, including areas hundreds of miles off the Chinese coast. The Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, and Taiwan also have competing claims.
"The Yunling will provide the Chinese Navy with an additional attack and supply route in the event of a conflict in the South China Sea," Bradford said.
However, Bradford noted that the Cambodian base would not be a "game changer" in the South China Sea dispute.
"The distance from Yunlan to the Spratly Islands is greater than the distance from the Spratly Islands to the main PLAN base on Hainan Island," Bradford said. Hainan is China's southernmost province and home to a contested military base in the South China Sea.
Bradford said that Chinese troops deployed from Cambodia to the South
China Sea would have to fly over Vietnam or take a long detour along the southern coast of Vietnam and the northeastern tip of Malaysia, which could make such attacks vulnerable to interception.
But Carl Schuster, former commander of the U.S. Pacific Command's Joint Operations Center, said that the new naval base in Cambodia would allow the Chinese Navy to approach the southern South China Sea more closely – a crucial aspect of Chinas expanding operations in the Indonesian Natuna Sea and Malaysias economic exclusion zone. Information Hub.
"This new naval base surpasses the current requirements of Cambodia, but its significance is more geopolitical than purely military," Bradford said. "It marks the growth of Chinese-Cambodian military relations and strengthens Vietnams concern that it may be encircled by China from both the East (South China Sea) and the Southwest (Cambodia)."
Simone McCarthy, Brad Lendon, and CNN's Peking bureau contributed to this report.
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The appearance of Chinese navy vessels in the region is of concern to the United States, as it may indicate China's efforts to establish military outposts in Cambodia and potentially threaten U.S. interests in the Indo-Pacific. The expansion of the Ream naval base is seen as a way for China to secure a strategic foothold in the region while potentially bypassing Vietnam's Mekong Delta and encircling Vietnam from two sides. Although it is not clear whether the Ream naval base will become an exclusive facility for the Chinese, some experts have raised concerns that it may lead to the erosion of U.S.-funded infrastructure in the region and the potential for increased Chinese influence in Southeast Asia.
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The docking of Chinese warships at the Ream Naval Base raises several geopolitical concerns, particularly for the United States. Some key reasons include:
- Strategic location: The Ream Naval Base is situated near the Funan Techo Canal, a major infrastructure project intended to enhance Cambodia's maritime trade and bypass Vietnam's Mekong Delta. With its strategic location, China can potentially utilize the canal for both economic and military purposes in the region.
- Military foothold: The presence of Chinese warships at the Ream Naval Base suggests that China is securing a military foothold in the region, strengthening its dominance in the South China Sea and providing a forward operating base to monitor regional naval activities.
- Regional dynamics: The deployment of Chinese warships in the region may threaten the interests of Vietnam and other regional players, such as the United States. Vietnam, in particular, is concerned that Beijing's growing influence in Cambodia could encircle Vietnam from both the East (South China Sea) and Southwest (Cambodia), potentially reducing Vietnam's influence over Laos and Cambodia.
- US concerns: The United States is closely monitoring developments in the region, as the presence of Chinese warships at the Ream Naval Base could threaten U.S. strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific. The U.S. is concerned that the canal might become a tool for Chinese military expansion, which could destabilize the region and undermine U.S. security partnerships with countries like Vietnam.
- Geopolitical implications: The increased Chinese naval presence in Cambodia is part of China's broader "String of Pearls" strategy, which involves a network of Chinese-funded ports and naval bases across Asia and the Indian Ocean. This strategy aims to secure China's maritime trade routes and enhance its military capabilities in the region.
- Diplomatic implications: The docking of Chinese warships at the Ream Naval Base may also have diplomatic implications for China's relations with other regional powers. For example, Vietnam and other claimants in the South China Sea may view this as an aggressive move to assert China's territorial claims, which could further escalate tensions in the region.
- Economic implications: The expansion of the Ream Naval Base could also have implications for regional trade and economic relations. For instance, Vietnam may see China's growing presence as a threat to its control of the Mekong Delta, which is critical for Vietnam's economic growth and development.
