China sends warships to Cambodia, fueling US fears over naval base

As tensions continue to mount between China and the United States regarding China’s expanding naval presence, Beijing has announced that it will dispatch two warships, including the advanced military training vessel Qijiguang and the formidable Jinggangshan dock landing ship, to Cambodia and East Timor during the first half of May through mid-June. The move is likely to aggravate American fears concerning the increasing Chinese influence at the critical Cambodian naval base of Ream, which has received backing from Beijing. Prior to a China-backed renovation project initiated in June 2022, Ream was previously utilized for joint naval drills and manoeuvres between the US and Cambodia. Nonetheless, Cambodia destroyed an American-constructed structure at the base in October 2020. Two additional Chinese warships, possibly corvettes or frigates, have been anchored at Ream since December. In contrast to claims made by Cambodia’s defence ministry that their presence does not signify a permanent deployment of Chinese military personnel, this action may still intensify US apprehensions about China’s efforts to establish a fresh military stronghold close to the disputed South China Sea, which is primarily owned by China. Since the previous year, China has strengthened its longstanding partnership with the Southeast Asian nation, marked by significant levels of senior political and military liaisons. Most recently, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense reported that the Chinese Minister of National Defense, Dong Jun, held discussions with the deputy commander-in-chief of Cambodia’s armed forces and the commander of the Royal Cambodian Army, Mao Sophan, in Beijing in March, both of whom expressed eagerness to deepen military collaboration. (Source: Reuters)