The recent arrival of Chinese warships at the enhanced Cambodian naval base in Ream has ignited apprehensions in the United States and neighboring countries. Last Sunday, Cambodia's Defense Minister Tea Seiha, accompanied by his father and former predecessor Tea Banh, visited a Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) vessel docked at the base. Although the Chinese military wasn't explicitly mentioned in the official Facebook post, images revealed two PLA warships parked side by side.
According to Colin Coe, a researcher at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, this marked the initial visit of a PLA vessel to the Ream Naval Base, primarily used by the smaller Cambodian Navy patrol boats. Coe highlighted that the base's expansion now caters to larger foreign warships, suggesting that it will soon be operational.
The docking of the Chinese warships coincided with a senior Chinese general's visit to Phnom Penh, who commended the close relations between China and Cambodia. He Weidong, the deputy chairman of China's Central Military Commission, vowed to maintain a high level of military cooperation between the two nations, which involves exchange programs, joint exercises, and personnel training.
Both the Chinese general and the Cambodian Defense Minister avoided discussing the Chinese warships, focusing instead on strengthening bilateral ties and shared interests. The Chinese Defense Ministry did not respond to CNN's request for comment.
The presence of Chinese warships at the strategically located Ream Naval Base has alarmed US officials, fretting over China's endeavors to establish military outposts in the region. These concerns escalated in June when Cambodian and Chinese officials revealed a joint project to refurbish the Ream Naval Base with Chinese financial aid.
Cambodian officials have repeatedly denied that the base serves as a Chinese military outpost, ensuring it complies with the country's constitution, which prohibits foreign nations from establishing military bases on Cambodian soil. Chinese officials characterized the base as a "support project" aimed at bolstering the Cambodian Navy.
The US is particularly concerned about the expansion of the Ream Naval Base, which may pose a threat to US-sponsored infrastructure in the region. As US-Cambodia relations deteriorate, some experts have suggested that the US might struggle to compete with China's economic clout in the region.
The appearance of Chinese warships has also ignited alarm among regional analysts, who perceive it as a manifestation of China's escalating 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 suggested that by forging closer military ties with certain countries along critical sea lanes, China could exert diplomatic pressure and hinder US efforts to form alliances.
Singleton argued that the Ream Naval Base is merely one of two overseas military bases China currently owns, with the other being in Djibouti. However, he cautioned that this is not the only means China can construct a military presence in the region. Extending access to key ports and facilities can offer China the power to exert pressure on US partners and hamper US military capabilities in the event of a conflict in the region.
Other experts contend that while the Ream Naval Base may not serve as an exclusive Chinese military outpost, it can still be an effective base for Chinese naval operations in the South China Sea. Benn Collins, a Southeast Asia correspondent for CNN, suggested that the base's proximity to the Spratly Islands, which are claimed by China and several other nations, could enrich China's naval operations in the region.
However, some experts have challenged this perspective, arguing that the Ream Naval Base may not be as substantial a military asset for China as some believe. Koh Swee Leck, a research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, suggested that the base might not be compatible with hosting permanent Chinese military installations due to Cambodia's constitution and international obligations.
Regardless, the arrival of Chinese warships at the expanded Ream Naval Base is likely to add strains to US-Cambodia relations and to the complex dynamics of Southeast Asia. As China persistently asserts its presence in the region, the response of the US and its allies will remain a significant development in the South China Sea and beyond.
