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The recent revelation that China has made significant progress building a naval base in Cambodia has raised alarm bells in Washington and the region.
According to satellite imagery, China is close to completing a pier that could berth an aircraft carrier at Ream Naval Base, near Sihanoukville on the Gulf of Thailand. This Chinese-funded project would extend Beijing’s military reach into the contested waters of Southeast Asia, where it faces rival claims from several countries, including US allies.
China and Cambodia have denied that the People’s Liberation Army will have access to the base, claiming that the construction is for Cambodia’s navy and that the two countries have no secret agreement. However, US officials and analysts have voiced suspicions that the base is part of China’s broader strategy to expand its influence and challenge US presence and interests in the region.
China has over the past decade built a number of military bases on reefs and reclaimed land in the South China Sea, where it claims almost the entire waterway as its sovereign territory.
The US has conducted freedom of navigation operations and military exercises to challenge China’s claims and assert its support for its regional partners.
A naval base in Cambodia would give China another strategic advantage, as it would provide access to the Gulf of Thailand and the Malacca Strait, a vital choke point for global trade and energy flows.
A Chinese military presence at Ream Naval Base would also have implications for the balance of power across Southeast Asia, where many countries are wary of China’s growing assertiveness and seek to maintain good relations with both Beijing and Washington. Cambodia, once a close ally of the US during the Cold War, has tilted towards China in recent years, receiving billions of dollars in aid, investment and loans from Beijing.
The US has criticized Cambodia for its democratic backsliding, human rights violations and crackdown on dissent under Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has ruled the country since 1985.
The US has urged Cambodia to be transparent about its intentions and activities at Ream Naval Base, and to respect its constitutional prohibition on foreign military bases on its soil.
The US has also sought to deepen its security ties with other countries in the region, such as Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, to counter China’s influence and promote a free and open Indo-Pacific.
In August 2022, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Phnom Penh and raised the issue of the naval base with Cambodian officials, saying that it would pose a threat to Southeast Asia if used exclusively for China’s military.
The development of Ream Naval Base is a clear sign of China’s ambition to become a global naval power and a challenge to US interests and values in the region.
The US should continue to monitor the situation closely and engage with Cambodia and other regional partners to uphold a rules-based order and prevent any escalation or conflict in the waters of Southeast Asia.
Sources:
• Chinese base in Cambodia nears completion in challenge to US naval power (Financial Times)
• Cambodian Ream Naval Base Modernized by China Nears Completion: Defense Ministry (VOA News)
• Is China building a military base in Cambodia? (Chatham House)
• China’s Base in Cambodia Nearing Completion, Challenging US Naval Power (Military View)