SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia (AP) – On Saturday, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet officiated the inauguration of the expansion of Cambodia's primary naval base, the Ream Naval Base, located on the Gulf of Thailand. This development has garnered significant attention due to suspicions from analysts and the U.S. government that the base may serve as a strategic outpost for China, Cambodia's closest ally. The upgrade includes a new pier designed to accommodate larger ships and a dry dock for repairs, among other enhancements.
During the opening ceremony, Prime Minister Hun Manet highlighted the timing of the event, which occurred just two weeks prior to the scheduled visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Cambodia. He lauded the Chinese government for its contributions to the expansion and positioned bilateral relations between Cambodia and China as robust and fruitful. Despite these affirmations, Hun Manet asserted that the Ream Naval Base would not be exclusive to any particular country, emphasizing that warships from friendly nations could visit and engage in joint military exercises, although larger vessels might not be accommodated due to size restrictions.
Hun Manet clarified that the Cambodian government, led by the Cambodian People's Party, has no intention of permitting any foreign military to establish exclusive bases in Cambodia, in alignment with the nation's constitution. In support of this stance, China's Defense Ministry noted that the newly established China-Cambodia Ream Naval Base Joint Support and Training Center would facilitate various joint operations, including counterterrorism, disaster relief, humanitarian assistance, and joint training initiatives. The Ministry's statement reaffirmed that personnel from both nations would be stationed at the site to ensure operational effectiveness, predicated on mutual respect and equitable consultation between China and Cambodia.
Additionally, a senior member of China’s Central Military Commission, Cao Qingfeng, emphasized during the ceremony that the naval base would enhance cooperative relations between the military establishments of China and Cambodia. Notably, about 100 Chinese sailors were present, participating in the celebrations through a march and song.
The United States, through Chargé d’Affaires Bridgette Walker, had a diplomatic representative at the inauguration but chose not to comment on the proceedings. This development is particularly significant as the Ream Naval Base is expected to welcome its first foreign warship from Japan in the near future, a gesture that the Cambodian government interprets as a demonstration of its openness to international partnerships beyond China. Euan Graham, a senior defense analyst from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, suggested that this move is a conscious effort by Cambodia to project that the Ream Naval Base is not solely intended for Chinese military utilization.
Concerns regarding China’s involvement at the Ream base were heightened in 2019 when reports emerged suggesting that a draft agreement would grant China a 30-year lease of the base. Under this agreement, it was purported that the Chinese military would be allowed to deploy personnel, store weapons, and dock warships at the facility. The close political, military, and economic ties between Cambodia and China were further underscored when ground was broken on the port project in 2022, leading to the demolition of existing naval structures built by the U.S., a move undertaken with little explanation. In September, Cambodia’s Defense Ministry announced that China would provide the Cambodian navy with two warships during the ongoing expansion project.
