Chinese help for Cambodian naval base does not mean PLA troops on the ground, say analysts

Ream naval base too small and lacking in military significance, Chinese observers point out

Cambodia’s security concerns and naval ambitions are of primary importance to Beijing, they explain

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The groundbreaking ceremony for the Chinese-aided upgrade of Cambodia’s Ream naval base on the Gulf of Thailand. Photo: AP

Published: 12:00pm, 10 Jun 2022Updated: 5:45pm, 10 Jun 2022

China may be helping to upgrade Cambodia’s largest naval base, but that does not mean People’s Liberation Army warships and forces would routinely be posted there, analysts said.

This came as Chinese ambassador Wang Wentian asserted that the Ream naval base project was not targeted at any third party, while underlining Beijing’s firm opposition to moves by some countries to smear its normal exchanges with Phnom Penh.

The project is a symbol of mutual respect and equal communication between China and Cambodia, Wang said at the groundbreaking ceremony for the base on Wednesday.

The upgraded base will help to modernise Cambodia’s naval capacity and boost its military defence abilities as a whole, Wang said, according to a readout from the Embassy of China in Phnom Penh.

He also pledged continued support from the Chinese defence forces to promote bilateral military cooperation in what he has called an “ironclad partnership”.

“Some countries continue to hype and smear the normal exchanges and cooperation between China and Cambodia … grossly interfering in Cambodia’s internal affairs. China is firmly opposed to it,” the ambassador said.

The US – which last year asked Cambodia to explain why it had turned down an American offer to repair the facility on the Gulf of Thailand – has raised “serious concerns” about China’s role in the project, saying this undermines regional security.