- China officially opened a new overseas military base at Ream Naval Station in Cambodia, giving it strategic access to key maritime routes in Southeast Asia. The base is described as a ‘joint logistics and training center’ but features clear military upgrades.
- The U.S. is concerned China may receive special access at the base, potentially undermining regional security and allied operations.
- China continues expanding its Pacific presence through the Belt and Road Initiative, building dual-use infrastructure with potential military applications.
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China’s newest overseas base is officially open. Although the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) — the official name of China’s maritime forces — refers to it as a ‘joint logistics and training center,’ the facility’s strategic significance is clear.
The new base is the Ream Naval Station in Cambodia, giving the PLAN quick access to the Gulf of Thailand, the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea. That’s an area of the world where approximately $3.5 trillion worth of goods sail through every year.
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The new base was built relatively quickly
Straight Arrow News has been following the development of the base for a couple of years.
Since 2022, Ream has undergone major upgrades. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) built new troop barracks, dredged the harbor, and extended the pier. The base can now accommodate ships up to 20,000 tons. That’s larger than any vessel in Cambodia’s fleet, though still too small for the PLAN’s aircraft carriers. Satellite imagery indicates the PLAN has at least two corvettes forward deployed at Ream on a permanent basis.
Why is the United States concerned about China’s new base?
In early April, military leaders from China and Cambodia held a ceremony to commemorate the start of official operations at the base. The Cambodian government maintains that Ream will be jointly operated by personnel from both countries, will remain under Cambodian control, and will be open to ships from all “friendly” nations.
Despite Cambodian reassurances, the U.S. Department of Defense is concerned that the PRC may be granted favored status at the base. Given the PLAN’s increasingly aggressive posture toward U.S. allies like the Philippines, Taiwan and Australia, such access could allow China to hamper, stall or even thwart allied efforts to maintain free and fair trade across the region.
China is growing its Pacific footprint
The PRC’s military ambitions extend well beyond Cambodia. In addition to claiming large portions of the South China Sea, China is constructing dozens of airports and seaports throughout the Pacific as part of its Belt and Road Initiative.
China has even built militarized artificial islands in the Pacific; complete with runways and docks capable of hosting some of the country’s largest warships.
While China claims all of these projects are for civilian purposes, the U.S. Department of Defense warns that the “dual-use” nature of these ports means they can be easily converted for military use. Additionally, many of the companies carrying out the construction have strong ties to the People’s Liberation Army.
So, while China frames its activities as expanding trade and improving foreign relations, the U.S. and its allies are preparing for the possibility of conflict in the Pacific.
