U.S Closely Monitors Chinese Warships Docking In Cambodia

The US has been monitoring the reports of China’s warships docking in Cambodia and also has concerns regarding Beijing’s strategies to exercise exclusive control over certain parts of the main naval base, a State Department spokesperson explained on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Radio Free Asia reported that Chinese warships were landing in Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base, citing Cambodia’s Defense Minister Tea Seiha’s statement on Sunday on Facebook that this was to prep for training of the Navy.

Per RFA, the warships’ visit coincided with meetings between Cambodian politicians and He Weidong, vice chair of China’s Central Military Commission, Beijing’s highest military command body, on Monday in Phnom Penh.

While there’s no comment on this particular development, a US State Department spokesperson said, referring to the People’s Republic of China, there are some serious concerns regarding the PRC’s intentions to exercise exclusive control over parts of the Ream Naval Base.

The US urged Cambodia’s government to carefully review the commitments its defence officials had reached with Beijing so that China would not be allowed to establish a presence or position technological advances at Ream that would undermine Cambodia’s sovereignty, violate the country’s constitution, and impact regional stability, per the spokesperson.

The number of Chinese battleships docked at Ream was unknown, but photographs on Tea Seiha’s page on Facebook seemed to show a minimum of two. According to the report, satellite photographs from Planet Labs on December 3 demonstrated two boats, most likely frigates or corvettes, docked at the new pier at the facility.

Cambodia’s move to let China’s navy build its base at Ream has upset Washington as well as neighbors afraid that Beijing will gain a new outpost close to the disputed South China Sea.

The Pentagon thinks Ream’s expansion strategies involve exclusive military usage of its northern half for the Chinese military, and neither country has disclosed full information about Beijing’s plans to establish a unilateral military facility there. Per Washington, this demonstrates a lack of transparency.

Cambodia rejected fears that it might enable China to establish a military base on its territory, stating that any country may utilize the facilities at Ream and that Cambodia was open to receiving military support from anyone.

Cambodia said in 2020 that it had razed one US-funded facility at Ream to make room for expansion.

Reference: The Print

U.S Closely Monitors Chinese Warships Docking In Cambodia appeared first on Marine Insight – The Maritime Industry Guide

Source: Maritime Shipping News