SternAAlbifrons wrote: ↑Sat Nov 13, 2021 4:10 am in trying to pick a fight with Cambodia.

Perfectly matching weight class

January 21, 202211:06 PM GMT+1Last Updated 7 hours ago
Dredgers spotted off Cambodian base where China is funding work -U.S. think tank
By David Brunnstrom
3 minute read

WASHINGTON, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Dredgers have been spotted off Cambodia’s Ream naval base, where China is funding construction work and deeper port facilities would be necessary for the docking of larger military ships, a U.S. think tank said on Friday.

The United States, which has sought to push back against Beijing's extensive territorial claims and military expansion in the South China Sea, reiterated its "serious concerns" about China's construction and military presence at Ream.

"These developments threaten U.S. and partner interests, regional security, and Cambodia's sovereignty," a spokesperson for the State Department said.

The report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think tank said the dredgers could be seen in photos released this month by the Cambodian government and in commercial satellite imagery.

"Dredging of deeper port facilities would be necessary for the docking of larger military ships at Ream, and was part of a secret agreement between China and Cambodia that U.S. officials reported seeing in 2019," the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at CSIS reported.

It cited a 2019 Wall Street Journal report that said the deal granted China military access to the base in return for funding facilities improvements.

Last June, Cambodian media quoted Defense Minister Tea Bahn as saying China would help to modernize and expand Ream, but would not be the only country given access to the facility.

AMTI said a Jan. 16 commercial satellite image showed two dredgers and barges for collecting dredged sand. It said other images showed both dredgers arriving between Jan. 13 and Jan. 15.

They were also visible in a photo posted on Tea Banh’s Facebook page following his Jan. 18 visit to Ream, it said, adding that the work "could mark a significant upgrade in the base’s capabilities."

"The shallow waters around Ream mean it is currently only able to host small patrol vessels. A deep-water port would make it far more useful to both the Cambodian and Chinese navies."

AMTI said construction work had continued onshore, with land clearing in several locations in the southwest of the base since fall 2021 and said this and the dredging "indicates that the base is being prepared for significant infrastructure upgrades."

The State Department spokesperson said the United States urged Cambodia "to be fully transparent about the intent, nature, and scope of the project at Ream and the role the PRC military is playing in its construction, raising concerns about the intended use of this naval facility."
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/dre ... 1/?rpc=401&

They won't let this go. So odd...

I give more credence to this report ^^ than the ludicrous ruckus these same sources made about the "Chinese air and naval defence bases under construction in Botum Sakor".
(i had to put aside my cynicism and work thru the 'boy who cried wolf" syndrome first tho - it makes it much more difficult to trust the source)

However, it is natural for Cambodia to want their primary naval base to be able to accomodate larger vessels. Let's not jump to any dramatic conclusions.
Even if/when Chinese naval vessels do visit, and perhaps conduct joint exercises, that is their sovereign right and is in fact perfectly "normal" given the alliances. Every country in the western sphere does the same thing.

Let's not loose our cool - nor as Jerry suggests on the prev post, let's not build this up as some BS excuse for another proxy war.

PS. The Cambodian Coast is just not strategically suited to a major-impact naval base for China. (my reading anyway)

yeah Freight, except that i don't see HE ever feeling the need to hide ANYthing.
lol, he seems to carry a certain confidence in his brazen fu's on matters of sovereignty like this. and everything.

lol, yes yes that too

China Signs Deal With Cambodia Army, Rebuffing U.S. Warnings
Bloomberg News
31 March 2022, 10:34 CESTUpdated on31 March 2022, 15:00 CEST

The Chinese and Cambodian armies have signed a memorandum of understanding, as Beijing seeks to deepen regional security ties amid increasing competition with the U.S.

Senior commanders from the ground forces of the two militaries sealed the agreement in a video call Thursday, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Senior Colonel Wu Qian told a regular news briefing in Beijing. He didn’t elaborate on the details of the agreement.

“China and Cambodia are close neighbors and iron-clad friends,” Wu said. “In recent years, the pragmatic cooperation between the two militaries in various fields, including strategic communication, joint exercises and training, exchanges and personnel training, has continued to deepen.”

The agreement was signed by General Liu Zhenli, commander of the People’s Liberation Army Ground Forces, and General HM, deputy commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Army. HM, who studied at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, is the eldest son Cambodian Prime Minister HE, and has been endorsed by the nation’s ruling party as its future leader.

Ties between the U.S. and Cambodia have been tense following reports in 2019 that Beijing signed a secret agreement to allow its armed forces to exclusively use parts of the Asian nation’s Ream Naval Base on the Gulf of Thailand. While the Chinese military has denied the reports, the Biden administration in November imposed sanctions against involved companies and individuals, including two senior Cambodian defense officials for corruption related to the base.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... u-s-strain