The recent arrival of Chinese warships at the expanded Cambodian naval base in Ream has sparked concerns in the United States and regional powers. On Sunday, Cambodia's Defense Minister Tea Seiha, along with his father and predecessor Tea Banh, visited a Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) vessel that had docked at the base. While the Chinese military was not explicitly mentioned in the official Facebook post, photographs showed two Chinese warships docked side by side.
According to Colin Coe, a researcher at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, this marks the first time a PLA vessel has visited the Ream Naval Base, which was previously used exclusively by the Cambodian Navy's smaller patrol boats. Coe noted that the base's expansion now allows it to accommodate foreign warships, suggesting that Yuengling is close to completion.
The visit of the Chinese warships coincided with a visit by a senior Chinese general to Phnom Penh, where he praised China and Cambodia as "true ironclad friends." He Weidong, the deputy chairman of China's Central Military Commission, also promised that military cooperation between the two countries would continue at a high level, involving exchange programs, joint exercises, and personnel training.
However, neither the Chinese general nor the Cambodian Defense Minister mentioned the Chinese warships in their discussions, focusing instead on bilateral relations and shared interests. CNN requested a comment from the Chinese Defense Ministry, but no response was received as of publishing.
The presence of Chinese warships at the Ream Naval Base, which is strategically located near the southern tip of Cambodia and the South China Sea, has raised concerns among US officials, who worry about China's attempts to establish military outposts in the region. These concerns were further heightened in June when Cambodian and Chinese officials announced a joint project to renovate the Ream Naval Base with Chinese financial assistance.
Cambodian officials have repeatedly denied that the base is being used as a Chinese military outpost, insisting that the project is in line with the country's constitution, which forbids foreign countries from establishing military bases on Cambodian territory. Chinese officials have described the base as a "support project" to strengthen the Cambodian Navy.
The US is particularly concerned about the expansion of the Ream Naval Base as it represents a potential threat to US-funded infrastructure in the area. As relations between Cambodia and the US grow increasingly distant, some experts have suggested that the US may find it difficult to compete with China's economic influence in the region.
The arrival of the Chinese warships has also sparked alarm among some regional experts, who see it as a sign of China's growing military ambitions in the region. Craig Singleton, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, described it as a "deliberate and determined" move by China to complicate US military calculations in the region. He argued that by building closer military ties with certain countries along key sea lanes, China can exert diplomatic pressure and limit US efforts to form alliances.
Singleton noted that the Ream Naval Base is just one of two overseas military bases China currently has, with the other being in Djibouti. However, he warned that this is not the only way China can establish a military foothold in the region. By securing access to key ports and facilities, China can exert pressure on US allies and limit US military capabilities in the event of a conflict in the region.
Other experts have noted that while the Ream Naval Base may not serve as an exclusive Chinese military outpost, it could still provide a useful base for Chinese naval operations in the South China Sea. Benn Collins, a Southeast Asia correspondent for CNN, noted that the port's location near the Spratly Islands, which are claimed by China and several other countries, could allow the Chinese navy to operate more effectively in the region.
However, some experts have argued that the Ream Naval Base may not be as significant a military asset for China as some have suggested. Koh Swee Leck, a research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, noted that the base may not be suitable for hosting permanent Chinese military installations, given Cambodia's constitution and international obligations.
In any case, the arrival of Chinese warships at the expanded Ream Naval Base is likely to further strain US-Cambodia relations, as well as complicated regional dynamics in Southeast Asia. As China continues to assert its presence in the region, it remains to be seen how the US and its allies will respond to the growing tensions in the South China Sea and beyond.
