US - China tensions put Cambodia in potential peril

sigmoid · Post by **sigmoid** » Sun Jun 09, 2019 10:12 pm

US concerns about an emerging China-backed facility in Cambodia could put the nation in the middle of an emerging new Cold War

By DAVID HUTT, PHNOM PENH

"In a now common refrain, Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe publicly denied at a recent defense forum that Beijing intends to build a naval base in Cambodia.

It was Beijing’s latest response to widespread speculation that a China-backed eco-tourism project in Cambodia’s coastal Koh Kong province is secretly designed to have military purposes."

https://www.asiatimes.com/2019/06/artic ... ial-peril/

"Phnom Penh clearly doesn’t want to be drawn any closer to the fray of increasingly hawkish defense officials in the US and China. As with Vietnam, Cambodia clearly doesn’t want to become a proxy in a new Cold War.

But as speculation runs high around the emerging China-backed facility in southwest Cambodia, and unless Phnom Penh shifts ties somewhat back towards the US, the risk is rising that it will become just that if US-China tensions boil over into conflict."

Anthony's Weiner · Post by **Anthony's Weiner** » Sun Jun 09, 2019 11:15 pm

From the article
"After Cambodia suspended joint military operations with the US in 2017, Beijing stepped up as the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces’ (RCAF) main creditor. Last June, Beijing gave US$100 million in military aid to Cambodia, on top of rich donations in previous years."
https://www.asiatimes.com/2019/06/artic ... ial-peril/

Special Report: How China is replacing America as Asia's military titan
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-chin ... SKCN1RZ12L

China’s Master Plan: A Global Military Threat
From the East China Sea to Africa, Beijing is flexing its muscles.
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/artic ... ary-threat

Knock knock

John Bingham · Post by **John Bingham** » Sun Jun 09, 2019 11:25 pm

This is all bullshit, there is zero evidence that anyone is building any kind of substantial naval base in Cambodia. There are a few jetties for pleasure craft around the resorts, and there is the deep water port at Kampong Som and the Mong Reththy private port, and there are big plans for Kampot but nothing that looks remotely like a naval base.

King Keil · Post by **King Keil** » Sun Jun 09, 2019 11:33 pm

That thing that is being built opposite bokor looks pretty gigantic. Wonder what that is.

King Keil · Post by **King Keil** » Sun Jun 09, 2019 11:36 pm