Chinese warships present for months at Cambodian naval base?

Permanent presence

Two Chinese warships were first seen at the Ream Naval Base on December 3, 2023, according to a Facebook post by Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Seiha. According to media reports, the Chinese ships left the Ream base in mid-January this year.

A Chinese warship is seen at Ream Naval Base (Cambodia) on March 20.

NIKKEI ASIA SCREENSHOT

According to Nikkei Asia on April 14, one of the two ships identified as the Wenshan escort ship of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), returned to the Ream military base on March 20.

In fact, however, satellite images from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS-USA) indicate the opposite. Accordingly, except for a few brief absences, PLAN escorts have had “extended and exclusive” access to Ream for the past four and a half months.

In an analysis on April 18, CSIS said: "PLAN ships have been seen docking at the new pier at Ream military base since they first arrived on December 3. The pier was empty only for two short periods from January 15-18 and March 29-30."

Cambodia has expressed interest in purchasing two warships from China since 2016. In a 2022 speech, former Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Banh said that modernizing the Ream base would help Cambodia solve many “complex technical tasks.” In particular, operating “modern ships” equipped with missiles would require new training and skills.

Responding to the issue of Chinese forces at Ream Naval Base - which is responsible for building new ships, Ream Base Commander Mey Dina said: "Yes", but did not answer further questions about the timing of this activity or which ships Cambodia would buy from China. "There is nothing negative as you think. I have answered all these questions. Thank you," Mr. Dina added.

CSIS stressed that no other ships, including Cambodian vessels, have used the new pier at Ream base. The recent visit by two Japanese destroyers was diverted to the autonomous port of Sihanoukville instead of Ream.

“If you’re coming for a maritime visit or an exercise, you’re not going to be there for five months,” said Gregory Poling, director of the Southeast Asia Program and AMTI at CSIS. “That means China’s activity at Ream is either a rotational deployment or a permanent deployment.”

"This could also mean that Chinese personnel have been living at the base for the past five months. That's particularly notable because Cambodia has repeatedly stated that this is not a Chinese base and that anyone can use it. But as far as we can tell, only one person is using it," Gregory Poling argued.

What to do in Ream?

Ream Naval Base, located in Cambodia's Preah Sihanouk province, is considered to be of strategic significance due to its proximity to the Gulf of Thailand and the southern part of the South China Sea.

Two PLAN escort ships dock at Ream Port on April 7, 2024

China has funded site upgrades and dredging of the bay around Ream. Construction on the rest of the Ream Naval Base has made significant progress, with several major upgrades now nearing completion, AMTI reported on April 18. Meanwhile, the facilities previously built by the United States have been demolished.

There is little public information about the work north of Ream. The Wall Street Journal reported in 2019 that Cambodia had signed a secret agreement with China to grant exclusive use of a portion of the 87-hectare Ream base.

Former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen (now President of the Cambodian Senate) has denied reports that there are plans to allow China to use Ream as a military base, calling the claims “slanderous.” He has also dismissed reports that the Chinese-funded canal project could be used for military purposes.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet reiterated in January this year that there would be no foreign military bases in the country as the Cambodian constitution prohibits it.

The Royal Cambodian Navy's coastal fleet currently consists of four Soviet-era Stenka patrol boats (two of which are unseaworthy), four Chinese-built PC42 patrol boats, and a number of other smaller vessels.

A former member of Cambodia’s foreign affairs council, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, who has close knowledge of developments at Ream in recent years, said operating a large class of ships would be a “quantum leap” for Cambodian sailors, who require extensive training.

“That’s exactly what you would expect, an early start to the transfer of knowledge and skills needed to operate the warships because everything is new to the Cambodians from the engines, communications to weapons,” he added. Such moves could provide “cover” for a continued presence at the site.

The extended Chinese presence adds to long-standing concerns expressed by Washington that the Ream military base will be used to host Chinese military assets.

During a meeting in 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 China’s involvement in construction at Ream Naval Base, and its future use.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/csis-tau-chien-trung-quoc-hien-dien-nhieu-thang-o-can-cu-hai-quan-campuchia-185240419114624422.htm