Growing military footprint at Ream boosts strategic value for Beijing: experts
In this July 26, 2019, file photo, Cambodian navy crew members stand on a navy patrol boat at the Ream Naval Base in Sihanoukville, southwest of Phnom Penh. © AP
JACK BROOK and PHIN RATHANA, contributing writersApril 1, 2023 18:30 JST
nikkei asia
JACK BROOK and PHIN RATHANA, contributing writersApril 1, 2023 18:30 JST
nikkei asia
PHNOM PENH -- The Cambodian government disclosed plans last week to develop an air defense center and expand a radar system at Ream National Park near its naval base in Sihanoukville province.
For several years, the U.S. government has warned that the Ream naval base is secretly being developed to become China's second overseas military base and first in the Indo-Pacific region. While the new plans may simply indicate Cambodia's desire to bolster its weak military infrastructure, experts say the developments would also enhance surveillance-gathering capabilities and strengthen Ream's strategic value for China.
The government's disclosure revealed that Prime Minister Hun Sen allocated 157 hectares to the Ministry of National Defense on Sept. 15, 2022 to develop an "air defense command and general headquarters." An additional 30 hectares were granted for a "naval radar system."
A defense ministry spokesperson said there would be no Chinese funding, support or presence at these facilities.
"Having a facility that large, that close by, is a major expansion of the military footprint [at Ream]," said Harrison Pretat, associate director at the Washington-based Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative.
The existing marina at Ream naval base is around 60 hectares. An air defense system would likely include surface-to-air missiles and hardened shelters, Pretat said.
For several years, the U.S. government has warned that the Ream naval base is secretly being developed to become China's second overseas military base and first in the Indo-Pacific region. While the new plans may simply indicate Cambodia's desire to bolster its weak military infrastructure, experts say the developments would also enhance surveillance-gathering capabilities and strengthen Ream's strategic value for China.
The government's disclosure revealed that Prime Minister Hun Sen allocated 157 hectares to the Ministry of National Defense on Sept. 15, 2022 to develop an "air defense command and general headquarters." An additional 30 hectares were granted for a "naval radar system."
A defense ministry spokesperson said there would be no Chinese funding, support or presence at these facilities.
"Having a facility that large, that close by, is a major expansion of the military footprint [at Ream]," said Harrison Pretat, associate director at the Washington-based Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative.
The existing marina at Ream naval base is around 60 hectares. An air defense system would likely include surface-to-air missiles and hardened shelters, Pretat said.
China and Cambodia have an increasingly close military relationship. Earlier this month, the two nations held joint-naval exercises for the first time in Cambodian waters. In a November 2022 report, the U.S. Department of Defense warned that China "is very likely already considering and planning for additional military logistics facilities to support naval, air and ground forces projection," in Cambodia and other nations.
The development of additional bases would involve "obfuscating the scale and scope of PRC political and military interests," the report added.
"We urge Cambodia to closely examine the agreements its defense officials have made with Beijing to ensure the PRC will not be allowed presence or sensitive technology at the base that undermine Cambodia's sovereignty and affect regional stability," said U.S. embassy spokesperson Stephanie Arzate.
China opened its first overseas military base in the east African nation of Djibouti in 2017.
Cambodian warships are docked at Ream Naval Base in Sihanoukville, southwestern of Phnom Penh on July 26, 2019. © AP
But despite the Pentagon's concerns, Ream naval base suffers from serious limitations to its military viability, as shallow waters prevent large military vessels from docking. The site also lacks defense against air strikes.
"It's not the world's most desirable place for a naval base," said Peter Layton, visiting fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute in Australia. "It doesn't seem from a warfighting viewpoint that anyone would be too concerned."
The main value of Ream for the People's Liberation Army would be symbolic and psychological, though it could be a valuable location for intelligence collection around Cambodia's neighbors, Layton said.
Yet two of Ream's significant military weaknesses are being addressed. Dredgers have been active there since 2021 and recent satellite images have revealed what some analysts claim is the construction of a permanent pier. Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Banh has acknowledged China is funding expansion at Ream naval base but has said China would not be the only country given access to the facility.
"Any repurposing of Ream into a real naval base that can accommodate large naval vessels required dredging up the waters around ran to get a deep water port," said Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative's Pretat. "That is exactly what we're seeing right now."
Ream, less than 30 kilometers from the Vietnamese island of Phu Quoc, is particularly vulnerable to strikes from southern Vietnamese air bases and submarines, said Carl Thayer, a Southeast Asia expert at the Australian Defense Force Academy.
"An air defense system is vital for important fixed military installations and bases, and Cambodia's actions to establish an air defense base is a prudent move," Thayer said.
Ream could be useful as an operating base for the Chinese coast guard, but PLA warships would more likely be served by China's militarized artificial islands in the South China Sea, Thayer said.
But despite the Pentagon's concerns, Ream naval base suffers from serious limitations to its military viability, as shallow waters prevent large military vessels from docking. The site also lacks defense against air strikes.
"It's not the world's most desirable place for a naval base," said Peter Layton, visiting fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute in Australia. "It doesn't seem from a warfighting viewpoint that anyone would be too concerned."
The main value of Ream for the People's Liberation Army would be symbolic and psychological, though it could be a valuable location for intelligence collection around Cambodia's neighbors, Layton said.
Yet two of Ream's significant military weaknesses are being addressed. Dredgers have been active there since 2021 and recent satellite images have revealed what some analysts claim is the construction of a permanent pier. Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Banh has acknowledged China is funding expansion at Ream naval base but has said China would not be the only country given access to the facility.
"Any repurposing of Ream into a real naval base that can accommodate large naval vessels required dredging up the waters around ran to get a deep water port," said Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative's Pretat. "That is exactly what we're seeing right now."
Ream, less than 30 kilometers from the Vietnamese island of Phu Quoc, is particularly vulnerable to strikes from southern Vietnamese air bases and submarines, said Carl Thayer, a Southeast Asia expert at the Australian Defense Force Academy.
"An air defense system is vital for important fixed military installations and bases, and Cambodia's actions to establish an air defense base is a prudent move," Thayer said.
Ream could be useful as an operating base for the Chinese coast guard, but PLA warships would more likely be served by China's militarized artificial islands in the South China Sea, Thayer said.
Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands on the sidelines of a meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Feb. 10, 2023. © Xinhua/AP
Cambodian authorities are eager to modernize their military facilities but appear reliant on leveraging Chinese support through some use of the Ream base, said Abdul Rahman Yaacob, a Southeast Asian security researcher at the Australian National University.
"Cambodia's air capabilities only have limited utility for Cambodia, given that it doesn't really face external threats," said Hunter Marston, an adjunct research fellow at La Trobe University. "What seems to be possible is the stationing and rotation of Chinese surveillance aircraft out of Cambodia."
The Pentagon previously speculated that the still-under-construction Dara Sakor International Airport, part of major but lagging tourism development near Ream, could be used as a Chinese Air Force base. The U.S. issued sanctions against the airport's developer.
Cambodian authorities denied that the new plans in or around Ream naval base represent anything more than a sovereign nation improving its military capacities. The Cambodian constitution bars the country from hosting foreign bases.
"There has been no foreign army entering, only technicians or workers ... and what they worked on has already finished," said defense ministry spokesperson Chhum Socheat. "We cannot give up our territorial integrity or allow any foreign troops to be stationed here. It is prohibited by law."
"Cambodia's air capabilities only have limited utility for Cambodia, given that it doesn't really face external threats," said Hunter Marston, an adjunct research fellow at La Trobe University. "What seems to be possible is the stationing and rotation of Chinese surveillance aircraft out of Cambodia."
The Pentagon previously speculated that the still-under-construction Dara Sakor International Airport, part of major but lagging tourism development near Ream, could be used as a Chinese Air Force base. The U.S. issued sanctions against the airport's developer.
Cambodian authorities denied that the new plans in or around Ream naval base represent anything more than a sovereign nation improving its military capacities. The Cambodian constitution bars the country from hosting foreign bases.
"There has been no foreign army entering, only technicians or workers ... and what they worked on has already finished," said defense ministry spokesperson Chhum Socheat. "We cannot give up our territorial integrity or allow any foreign troops to be stationed here. It is prohibited by law."
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