Yesterday, Radio Free Asia (RFA) published a report claiming that China will soon hand over to Cambodia’s navy the facilities that it has developed at Ream Naval Base, including a deep-water pier able to accommodate large warships.
Citing Cambodian sources with knowledge of the matter, the report stated that the transfer is being earmarked for some time in late September, and that around 100 Chinese naval personnel have been “working day and night” on a section of the base that has previously been off limits to Cambodians.
According to RFA, China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) will also hand over two Type 056A missile corvettes to the Royal Cambodian Navy. On a recent visit to the area, a reporter for RFA said that they saw the two warships berthed at the new pier, next to an area that is under development, awaiting their handover next month.
If and when it takes place, the handover would finally create some clarity around the status of Ream, where the Chinese government has funded an extensive expansion and refurbishment over the past two years. This includes a new 300-meter-long deep-water pier, completed last year, which will enable larger warships, including aircraft carriers, to dock in the shallow waters around the base.
This project has been the source of much consternation in the United States, where many policymakers and think-tankers have grown concerned about the possibility of a permanent PLAN base on the Gulf of Thailand. Cambodia’s government has repeatedly denied that China has been permitted to establish a permanent military presence in the country, with officials saying that this was against the country’s Constitution.
But the fears of U.S.-based observers appeared validated when two Type 056A corvettes – the Wenshan and Bazhong – docked at the base in December 2023, remaining there until May. A spokesperson for the Cambodian Ministry of Defense stated that the warships were in Cambodia for training purposes and were “not staying permanently.” According to RFA’s report, these ships were used to train Cambodian naval personnel to operate the Type 056A. They then took part in the Golden Dragon military exercise in May, before departing.
Ream Naval Base first became the subject of sustained attention in 2019, when the Wall Street Journal reported that Cambodia had signed a secret agreement granting China’s military the right to use the base for a period of 30 years, citing unnamed U.S. and allied officials, prompting a vociferous denial from both Phnom Penh and Beijing. The Washington Post then reported in mid-2022 that China is “secretly building a naval facility in Cambodia for the exclusive use of its military.” Again citing unnamed Western officials, the report claimed that both countries were “taking extraordinary measures to conceal the operation.”
In line with the Cambodian denials, Chinese state media has described the Chinese visits to the base as routine exchanges. In May, the Global Times accused the U.S. media of “exaggerated sensationalism” and “a fretful, and even severely paranoid mentality” regarding Ream.
In its report yesterday, RFA cited analysts as saying that it was likely Beijing and Phnom Penh “have reached an agreement giving the Chinese navy privileged access to the new base.” This would permit the rotational deployment of Chinese vessels at the base, which would avoid contravening the Constitutional ban on the establishment of a permanent military base on Cambodian soil.
While the RFA report noted that “no foreign vessels” have so far been allowed to dock at the new pier, this is hardly surprising given that the official handover of the facilities has not yet taken place. Amidst their denials, Cambodian officials have promised that other nations’ navies will be welcome at Ream once the new facilities are complete.
Not long after the bunting for the handover ceremony comes down, it should become clear whether they are willing to honor this promise – and exactly what the nature of the Chinese presence at the base will be going forward.