Beijing [China], April 1: The Chinese Navy is said to be present at Cambodia's Ream Naval Base at least twice recently, according to Nikkei Asia on April 1.
Chinese warships first visited Ream in early December 2023. The ship was last seen on March 20.
It is unclear how many ships of the Chinese navy came to Ream on this occasion, and the specific time of the program was not announced, but at least one ship was identified as the Wenshan corvette, according to the picture. Photo shared by Nikkei Asia .
Ream naval base, located in Preah Sihanouk province of Cambodia, is considered to be of strategic significance due to its location near the Gulf of Thailand and in the south of the East Sea.
In December 2023, Chinese warships arrived at Ream base. Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Seiha then announced on social media that the two countries were preparing for training exercises. According to the media, the Chinese ships left the Ream base in mid-January this year.
During a meeting last February with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet in Phnom Penh, US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink expressed "serious concerns" about participation. of the Chinese military into construction at the Ream base and its possible future use.
Beijing's access to this base has raised Western concerns that Cambodia is granting the Chinese navy the right to use it for military purposes, in exchange for reclamation support.
Speaking at the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the headquarters of the Royal Cambodian Army Command, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet affirmed that the purpose of developing the Ream naval base and other military capabilities is to strengthen the country. prevention, not to threaten or wage war against any country, according to the Khmer Times on January 25. Prime Minister Hun Manet said that the Ream naval base, currently under development, is purely for defense purposes and will not host any foreign military facilities.
Meanwhile, the Chinese side has described this base as an aid project to strengthen Cambodia's naval power and called these assertions "exaggeration" with "ulterior motives".
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
