Cambodia has officially reopened a naval base on its southwest coast after a substantial upgrade supported by China, but denies that it will allow any foreign country to establish a base on its soil.
Prime Minister Hun Manet officiated on Saturday the reopening of the Ream naval base. Chinese ambassador to Cambodia and a member of the Chinese Central Military Commission attended the ceremony.
“The royal government of Cambodia, led by the Cambodian people party, in the past, now and in the future will not violate its own constitution to allow a single foreign country to put a military base in the country,” said Hun Manet during the ceremony.
The reopening occurs about two weeks before a state visit planned in Cambodia by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Cambodia is one of the most common allies in Southeast Asian China.
“We have nothing to hide,” said Hun Manet at the ceremony. He welcomed “all friends” to participate in military exercises jointly at the base.
Last August, during Ream’s visit, an FRG journalist witnessed the rapid pace of development and was informed that 100 members of Chinese naval staff “worked day and night”.
The United States has repeatedly expressed concerns about the lack of transparency in the development of the Ream base, while the neighbors of Cambodia fear that the point of view in Ream would offer China a better control of the Indochina and the Sea Southern Chinese peninsula.
The Cambodia Constitution does not authorize the foreign bases in the country, but analysts say that China, having invested a large sum of money in the project, would have preferential access to Ream.
On Sunday, China and Cambodia organized joint military exercises in Ream. War ships from both countries have performed exercises, including training maneuver. The Global Times of the State of China said that the two countries will probably perform more joint exercises using the base in the future.