An Outpost in Cambodia Isn’t a Game-Changer for China’s Navy

In September, a spokesperson for Cambodia’s Defense Ministry announced that building activity to grow and upgrade Ream Naval Base, located connected nan Gulf of Thailand, is nearing completion. China has been redeveloping nan tract since reportedly signing an statement pinch Phnom Penh successful 2019 allowing nan People’s Liberation Army Navy, aliases PLAN, to usage nan installation for an first 30-year period, pinch nan anticipation of renewal. Five years later, nan guidelines now boasts a caller 1,200-footlong pier, alongside which 2 Chinese warships person been berthed connected a regular basis for overmuch of nan past year.

Cambodia insists Ream is not a Chinese overseas base, pointing to its law prohibition connected nan imperishable stationing of overseas troops successful nan state to backmost up its claim, and attributes nan predominant beingness of nan Chinese warships location to a training ngo for Cambodian sailors. Indeed, China is planning to give Cambodia 2 recently built Type 56 corvettes, nan aforesaid exemplary arsenic nan PLAN ships sighted astatine nan base. Phnom Penh besides maintains that naval vessels from different nations are invited to dock astatine Ream. But to date, only Chinese ships person been present, pinch those from different countries routed to nan adjacent larboard astatine Sihanoukville.

Some neighboring states, for illustration Vietnam, are uneasy astir nan implications of regular Chinese entree to Ream, particularly arsenic Beijing has been much assertive complete its territorial claims successful nan South China Sea successful caller years. The United States, too, has voiced concerns complete a perceived deficiency of transparency astir nan Chinese beingness astatine nan base. Observers person besides noted that Ream could beryllium utilized arsenic a imaginable staging crushed by China successful a early conflict complete Taiwan. But fixed nan U.S. subject footprint successful nan region done its ain bases and entree rights, Ream whitethorn not move nan dial for Beijing importantly capable to matter.*