Cambodia offers glimpse inside naval base at centre of China rumours
- The defence ministry organised a media tour to the Ream naval base after denying reports of a deal allowing China to use the facility
- Giving Beijing access to the base would boost its ability to assert contested territorial claims in the South China Sea
“You journalists. Open your eyes and noses. Today we show you everything,” said defence ministry spokesman Chhum Socheat. “We cannot hide anything … because there are satellites.”
The Wall Street Journal said on Sunday that China had reached a secret deal with Cambodia this year to let it place forces at Ream. The report cited US and allied officials.
Cambodia denies ‘secret deal’ allowing Chinese forces access to naval base
Cambodia denied any such agreement and said hosting foreign forces would be against Cambodia’s constitution.
At Ream, a half-dozen grey-painted Cambodian navy patrol boats were moored by the jetty. Sailors in military fatigues stood to attention as the press bus passed. Reporters were not allowed to get off.
The defence ministry pointed out that there was no sign of a Chinese presence or of any construction.
Reporters were also taken to a building where a sign proclaimed: “This building was given by the people of the United States of America an expression of friendship and cooperation.” Inside were US-donated speed boats with guns.
The US expressed concern to Cambodia over plans for Ream after its offer to pay for renovations at the facility was turned down by the Cambodian government in June.
“This causes us to wonder if the Cambodian leadership’s plans for Ream naval base include the possible hosting of foreign military assets and personnel,” US Embassy spokeswoman Emily Zeeberg said in a statement.
Resort or China army base: why US fears huge Cambodia project
Chhum Socheat said the building in question would be handed to the Cambodian navy, not to the Chinese.
The US embassy said it was also monitoring media reports about the potential use of a resort by China.
Some 70km (40 miles) northwest of Ream, a Chinese company is building a runway at the Dara Sakor resort that is capable of taking some of the world’s biggest planes to serve what for now consists of a rundown casino and a golf course.
China has poured billions of dollars of aid into Cambodia while private Chinese money has gone into real estate developments, factories and casinos.
The town of Sihanoukville, some 10km (6 miles) from Ream, has been transformed by Chinese investment and the arrival of tens of thousands of Chinese workers and visitors.
