What does Cambodia say about Chinese warships present at a base in the southern East Sea?

The Khmer Times reported today, May 9th, that Cambodian Ministry of Defense spokesman Chhum Sucheat said two Chinese naval warships are present at Ream Naval Base in preparation for the joint "Golden Dragon 2024" exercise on May 16th.

Cambodian Ministry of Defence spokesman Chhum Sucheat speaks at a press conference.

Screenshot from Khmer Times

Mr. Sucheat also said: "A foreign media outlet recently exaggerated the presence of two Chinese naval vessels docking at Ream Naval Base, accusing the Chinese military of using the facility as a ' military base' and claiming it to be China's second-largest military base (outside of China) in the world."

Mr. Sucheat emphasized that the upgrade of Ream Naval Base has contributed to the modernization of the Cambodian navy and that the two countries are strategic partners in all fields. He also stated that China is currently inspecting the quality of the upgraded Ream Naval Base, as China has assisted in the construction of several new facilities at the base, and Cambodia is also planning to purchase warships similar to those docked at the base.

"Ream Naval Base is not a Chinese military base, as some foreign media outlets have reported," Sucheat emphasized.

Chinese warships have reappeared at a Cambodian naval base.

Mr. Sucheat made the statement after the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS, USA) published an analysis on April 18th pointing out that two Chinese naval frigates "have been seen docking at the new berth at Ream Naval Base since their first arrival on December 3, 2023. The berth was only empty for two short periods, from January 15-18 and March 29-30."

The Ream naval base, located in Cambodia's Preah Sihanouk province, is considered strategically important due to its proximity to the Gulf of Thailand and its location in the southern South China Sea. The development of this base will provide the Cambodian Navy with improved infrastructure and resources to ensure maritime security and contribute to regional stability, according to the Khmer Times .

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/campuchia-noi-gi-ve-tau-chien-trung-quoc-hien-dien-tai-can-cu-phia-nam-bien-dong-185240509105751192.htm