Cambodia has announced that the newly expanded Ream Naval Base, a project funded by China, will officially open on April 2, 2025, with a Japanese warship as its first foreign visitor.

The base has been at the center of international scrutiny due to concerns over China’s growing military presence in the region.

The Ream Naval Base, located along the Gulf of Thailand, has undergone major expansion, including a new pier capable of accommodating larger vessels, a dry dock for repairs, and other advanced infrastructure.

The project, which started in 2022 with Chinese investment, has led to speculations that China could establish a long-term presence at the base.

Major General Thong Solimo, a spokesperson for the Cambodian armed forces, stated that welcoming a Japanese warship as the first foreign visitor shows Cambodia’s commitment to openness, cooperation, and mutual trust with multiple countries.

Per reports, Cambodia and China had an agreement allowing the Chinese Navy a 30-year lease on the facility. This raised alarms about the possibility of a Chinese military outpost in the Gulf of Thailand, a waterway close to the South China Sea, where China has made sweeping territorial claims.

While Cambodia has denied such an agreement, its actions have raised questions. In early 2024, Chinese warships docked at the newly built pier for several months, leading to suspicions that the base was being used to strengthen China’s regional naval presence.

Despite Cambodian officials stating that the base is open to multiple nations, the US Navy was not allowed to dock at Ream when the USS Savannah visited Cambodia in December 2024.

Similarly, two Japanese destroyers, Shimakaze and Suzunami, were routed to another Cambodian port in February 2024, rather than Ream. Satellite imagery has also revealed that the new pier at Ream closely resembles a Chinese naval facility in Djibouti.

Cambodia appears to be making efforts to counter claims that the base is exclusively for China with the announcement that Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force will visit Ream.

General Chhum Socheat, Defense Ministry spokesman of Cambodia, stated that all friendly nations would be allowed to use the new pier, provided they comply with Cambodian conditions. However, he did not elaborate on what those conditions include.

In September 2024, Cambodia’s Defense Ministry confirmed that China would provide two warships to Cambodia’s navy. These warships are of the same type that were docked at Ream while the expansion was still ongoing.

Reference: AP News

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