Key takeaways
- Chinese Navy corvettes are moored at a newly built pier at Ream Naval Base.
- The facilities built by China may serve the Chinese Navy, raising doubts about their permanent existence.
- Analysts point out that while Ream Naval Base in Cambodia may not technically be classified as a permanent base, periodic Chinese deployments could circumvent Cambodian constitutional restrictions.
Concerns have grown in Washington about the possibility of a permanent Chinese military presence at the Cambodian Ream naval base. Satellite images show two Chinese Navy A56 warplanes moored at a newly built pier that can accommodate larger ships. Additional facilities, also built by China, are suspected of serving the Chinese Navy.
Withdrawals and fears
Cambodia strongly denies these allegations and cites the Constitution, which prohibits permanent foreign military presence. Officials stress that Ream remains open to all friendly naval forces and stress Cambodia’s limited military capabilities and its reliance on training from external partners, especially China.
Despite this denial, doubts remain. Although China currently has only one overseas base in Djibouti, established in 2016, its naval power is rapidly expanding and exceeding the size of the US fleet. This increase in force, coupled with China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a plan for investment and trade with foreign countries that requires military-grade infrastructure, raises concerns about a future network of Chinese bases around the world.
Transformation of partnerships
Ream District, on the southern tip of Cambodia, was previously improved with US assistance, but that partnership changed after political changes in Cambodia in 2017. Joint military exercises with the US were discontinued and replaced by joint exercises with China. By 2020, the US-financed buildings at Ream had been demolished and large-scale Chinese-funded expansions had begun, culminating in a dock similar to the one in Djibouti that could accommodate China’s largest aircraft carrier.
Cambodia claims that the moored corvettes are intended for training and participation in joint exercises. However, the exclusion of Japanese destroyers from the new dock in favor of berthing in Sihanoukville raises doubts about exclusivity.
Leaked deal and analyst views
The 2019 agreement between Cambodia and China, which Wall Street Journal As reported, a 30-year lease was proposed for 77 hectares in Ream, including provisions for the use of military personnel and weapons. Although Cambodia has dismissed this information as false information, the Chinese presence remains largely exclusive.
Analysts point out that while Ream may not technically be classified as a permanent base, China’s continued access through periodic deployments could circumvent Cambodian constitutional restrictions. Similar arrangements exist between the United States and the Philippines.
Strategic objections
A long-term Chinese presence on Ream Island offers limited strategic benefits to China, given its existing bases in the South China Sea. However, it worries neighboring countries Thailand and Vietnam because it may allow China to encircle the Vietnamese coast. Thailand is also concerned about the presence of a Chinese base near its main seaport, further complicating its ongoing territorial disputes.
While both countries are unlikely to raise these concerns publicly due to economic ties with China and potential domestic backlash, American and Indian strategists remain focused on the possibility of future Chinese bases in the Indian Ocean.
conclusion
despite this Developments Analysts acknowledge that China’s global military capability is unlikely to surpass the United States any time soon. The Ream’s strategic value may lie more in intelligence gathering, satellite tracking and surveillance of long-range targets than in traditional force projection.
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