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China’s military
ChinaMilitary

Chinese warships visit controversial Cambodian naval base for joint exercise

  • The vessels pictured at the Ream naval base are the first foreign warships known to have used a new facility built with the help of China
  • Phnom Penh denied that the port was being upgraded for the People’s Liberation Army‘s use after the US expressed concern about the project

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Cambodia’s defence minister posted pictures of the two ships at the Ream naval base on social media on Sunday. Photo: Facebook/Tea Seiha
Jack Lau
Chinese naval ships have arrived for a military exercise at a Cambodian naval port where the United States has previously expressed concern about the possible involvement of the People’s Liberation Army.
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It is the first time ships from a foreign navy are known to have used the new pier at Ream naval base, which Chinese companies helped build.

The ships, including the Wenshan, a Type 056A corvette, were seen moored at the base on Sunday in photos posted on Facebook by General Tea Seiha, the Cambodian deputy prime minister and defence minister.

He was accompanied by his father, General Tea Banh, a former defence minister, the Chinese ambassador Wang Wentian and military officers from both countries.

Tea Seiha wrote in a Facebook post that they had visited a “ship docked at Ream seaport to prepare for training with our Cambodian Navy captain and inspected the construction of the infrastructure, which is actively under way according to plan. The major construction will advance the navy’s capability”.

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The two countries have close military and economic ties and Chinese firms – many of them state-owned – have invested heavily in transport, agriculture, mining and energy infrastructure.

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