Cambodia seems to have given the Chinese language navy prolonged and unique entry to its naval base in Ream regardless of official claims that they solely arrived for coaching functions, a U.S. suppose tank mentioned.
Radio Free Asia first reported on the arrival of two Chinese language corvettes final December, the primary international warships allowed to dock on the new Chinese language-built pier at Ream, Sihanoukville province.
The ships left the pier on January 15, 2024, solely to return a number of days later, mentioned the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) on the Heart for Strategic and Worldwide Research (CSIS) in Washington D.C. in a new report.
AMTI analyzed business satellite tv for pc imagery that exhibits the Chinese language vessels “have now maintained a constant presence for over 4 months.”
“It seems that they have been based mostly there, simply because the leaked 2019 MOU [memorandum of understanding] instructed they’d be,” mentioned Greg Poling, AMTI’s director, referring to the reported controversial settlement between Cambodia and China in 2019 giving Beijing unique rights to a part of the Ream naval base.
“This is not only a go to or an train,” Poling advised RFA. “Regardless of the Hun Sen and Hun Manet governments’ denials, the PLAN [People’s Liberation Army Navy] is working out of Ream.”
Coaching Cambodian navy
The AMTI report mentioned that no different ships, together with Cambodian vessels, have been seen docking on the new pier, “which was accomplished final yr to allow bigger warships to dock in Ream’s shallow waters.”
This means “a visual signal of privileged entry for China’s navy,” it mentioned, including that the diploma of China’s entry to Ream sooner or later will verify whether or not Ream has grow to be a Chinese language naval base.
Cambodia is making ready for the upcoming annual joint train Golden Dragon with the Chinese language navy, a part of which will likely be carried out at sea, RFA has realized. Naval commanders held a gathering in Phnom Penh on April 18 to debate the train.
It’s unclear whether or not the Chinese language vessels presently at Ream would participate in Golden Dragon 2024. In final yr’s iteration, the 2 navies carried out their first-ever joint naval drills within the waters off Sihanoukville, however with a touchdown ship dispatched from China.
RFA has contacted Rear Adm. Mey Dina, Ream naval base’s commander, for extra clarification however has not acquired any reply.
When the 2 Chinese language ships arrived in Ream in December 2023, Cambodia’s minister of protection Tea Seiha mentioned on Fb that it was “for coaching our Cambodian Navy crew.” Within the following days there was certainly a coaching course for Cambodian navy employees at Ream, attended by Chinese language officers.
Nevertheless, there have been no additional reviews on any exercise of the Chinese language ships in both Cambodian or Chinese language media.
“We don’t know what the Chinese language have been as much as [at Ream] as a result of China builds and operates it itself,” mentioned a Cambodian analyst who wished to remain nameless because of the sensitivity of the subject.
“What seems to be evident is that Beijing has begun to station semi-permanent warships there as a method of solidifying its navy footprint throughout Southeast Asia,” mentioned Paul Chambers, a political scientist on the Heart of ASEAN Group Research at Naresuan College in Thailand.
“A Chinese language foothold in Cambodia gives assist to different close by Chinese language navy platforms within the South China Sea, Myanmar, Laos, and southern Asia,” Chambers advised RFA.
‘Critical considerations’
There was no fast remark from the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh. The U.S. State Division final December mentioned it had “severe considerations” about China’s plans for unique management over parts of Ream Naval Base, a declare that Cambodia has repeatedly denied.
High officers in Phnom Penh have maintained that permitting a international navy to be based mostly in Cambodia could be in contradiction to the nation’s structure.
Cambodian analyst, Chhan Paul, wrote within the pro-government newspaper Khmer Instances that any allegation of a Chinese language navy base is a “deliberate try and malign Cambodia.”
“Cambodia by no means claims that it received’t permit warships from China to dock on the Ream naval base. Cambodia brazenly welcomes warships from different pleasant international locations to dock on the base,” the impartial analyst wrote, “Subsequently, the mere sighting of a Chinese language warship can’t be interpreted to imply something out of the atypical.”
Chinese language international minister Wang Yi is to go to Cambodia from April 21 to 23 to additional consolidate bilateral relations in “wide-ranging areas,” in keeping with a press launch from the Cambodian international ministry.
Wang Yi is scheduled to name on King Norodom Sihamoni and meet with Prime Minister Hun Manet and his father Hun Sen, who’s now the president of the nation’s Senate.
Edited by Mike Firn.
