22-4-2024 (PHNOM PENH) In a move that has raised eyebrows across the region, China’s top diplomat, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, has pledged to further boost security ties with Cambodia during a three-day visit to the neighboring nation. This commitment comes amid growing concerns over the extended presence of Chinese warships at a naval base on the Gulf of Thailand.
Wang Yi’s visit, which followed a recent meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Jakarta, underscores China’s strategic interests in the region. During his discussions with his Cambodian counterpart, the Chinese Foreign Minister emphasized the need to “strengthen solidarity and cooperation, and tighten the security line for the construction of a China-Cambodia community with a shared future,” according to an official readout.
The diplomatic overtures have been overshadowed by a report published by the Washington-based Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) just days ago. The report, accompanied by satellite photographs, revealed the presence of two Chinese navy ships that appear to have spent an extended period of four months at Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base.
China has played a pivotal role in funding the reconstruction efforts at the Ream Naval Base, raising concerns among regional powers, including the United States, about the potential establishment of China’s first overseas military base in the Indo-Pacific region. While Phnom Penh has repeatedly denied such allegations, the AMTI report highlights that the extended and exclusive access granted to Chinese vessels “raises the question of whether that presence has now, in fact, been established.”
In response to the report, China’s foreign ministry dismissed the allegations as an attempt to “hype up maritime issues, attacking and smearing China.” The ministry described the cooperation with Cambodia as “transparent,” asserting that Beijing’s assistance in the naval base is “conducive to enhancing Cambodia’s capability of safeguarding its own independence and national sovereignty.”
Prime Minister Hun Manet, who took over the reins from his father last year, has further deepened ties with Beijing, signaling a shift in Cambodia’s foreign policy trajectory. This development has strained Cambodia’s relationship with the United States, which remains rocky due to concerns over human rights, press freedom, and the suppression of political opposition.
Earlier this month, the US urged greater transparency from Cambodia over a planned $1.7 billion canal, expressing concerns that the project could bolster China’s military presence and pose a potential security threat to regional neighbors like Vietnam. Similar apprehensions have been raised over China’s activities at the Ream Naval Base.
The US Embassy in Cambodia reiterated these concerns, stating, “The United States and countries in the region have consistently expressed serious concern about the intent, nature, and scope of construction at Ream Naval Base, as well as the role the PRC military is playing in this process and in future use of the facility.” The embassy further emphasized that “the Cambodian people, neighboring countries, ASEAN, and the region more broadly would benefit from transparency on PRC activities at Ream.”
