China permanently deploys warships to second overseas base

Apr 26

Ryan Robertson Anchor, Reporter

By Ryan Robertson (Anchor, Reporter)

The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), the official name of the Chinese naval forces, can now permanently operate from a second overseas base. Satellite imagery shows China has a pair of warships that have been docked in Cambodia for months.

New satellite imagery from @AsiaMTI reveals the long-term presence of Chinese ships at Cambodia's Ream Naval Base, which raises concerns for the United States of the evolving dynamics between China and Cambodia.

Read more here: https://t.co/r4Wubhfivw
— CSIS (@CSIS) April 19, 2024

Straight Arrow News previously reported on Cambodia giving China exclusive access to operate out of the Ream Naval Station.

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Even though the Cambodian constitution prohibits foreign military powers from operating permanently within the country, the Cambodian government started letting the Chinese make improvements to the pier at Ream a couple of years ago. Those improvements included expanding the pier, dredging the harbor so bigger ships could dock there, and building permanent structures on land like dry docks and troop barracks.

The latest wrinkle to the story came on April 18, when the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) published photos of a pair of PLAN vessels.

The CSIS told Newsweek the ships have been moored at the pier longer than what would be expected if they were just passing through or in the area for naval exercises.

China’s not-so-secret base in Cambodia is bigger than we thought

When counting the number of ships, China has the world’s largest navy, but the Ream Naval Station marks just the second overseas naval base for China. The first is in Djibouti, at the base of the Horn of Africa.

These bases mark the start of what Chinese leader Xi Jinping hopes will be the beginning of China’s blue-water navy.

A blue-water navy is a maritime force capable of navigating the world’s open oceans in a safe and efficient manner.

China is not there yet, and the location of their two naval bases proves that. The PLAN never really has to leave the safety of the shoreline too much to sail to its overseas bases; Chinese ships can pretty much hug the coastline to get where they need to go.

So, while plenty of folks are taking notice of the newest Chinese naval base, it’s not necessarily a surprise it was built, but it does add to the concern of growing Chinese naval aggression in the region.

Tags: Cambodia, China, Navy, People’s Liberation Army, People’s Republic of China

THE PEOPLE’S LIBERATION ARMY NAVY…THE OFFICIAL NAME OF THE CHINESE NAVAL FORCES–CAN NOW PERMANENTLY OPERATE FROM A SECOND OVER-SEAS BASE. SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS A PAIR OF CHINESE WARSHIPS HAVE BEEN DOCKED IN CAMBODIA FOR MONTHS.

WE’VE REPORTED ON BEFORE ON CAMBODIA GIVING CHINA EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO OPERATE OUT OF THE REAM NAVAL STATION. SO, FOR MORE ONE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS BASE, BE SURE TO CHECK OUT S-A-N DOT COM.

BUT BASICALLY–
EVEN THOUGH THE CAMBODIAN CONSTITUTION PROHIBITS FOREIGN MILITARY POWERS FROM OPERATING PERMANENTLY WITHIN THE COUNTRY–
THE CAMBODIAN GOVERNMENT STARTED LETTING THE CHINESE MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PIER AT REAM– A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
THOSE IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDED EXPANDING THE PIER, DREDGING THE HARBOR SO BIGGER SHIPS COULD DOCK THERE…AND BUILDING PERMANENT STRUCTURES ON LAND LIKE DRYDOCKS AND TROOP BARRACKS.

THE LATEST WRINKLE TO THE STORY CAME ON APRIL 18TH WHEN THE CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES PUBLISHED PHOTOS OF A PAIR OF PLAN VESSELS THAT HAVE BEEN MOORED AT THE PIER LONGER THAN WHAT WOULD BE EXPECTED IF THE SHIPS WERE JUST PASSING THROUGH OR JUST IN THE AREA FOR NAVAL EXERCISES.

WHEN COUNTING THE NUMBER OF SHIPS–CHINA HAS THE WORLD’S LARGEST NAVY…BUT THE REAM NAVAL STATION MARKS JUST THE SECOND OVERSEAS NAVAL BASE FOR CHINA–THE FIRST IS IN DJIBOUTY, AT THE BASE OF THE HORN OF AFRICA.

AND THESE BASES ARE THE START OF WHAT CHINESE LEADER XI JINPING HOPES WILL BE THE BEGINNING OF CHINA’S BLUE-WATER NAVY.

A BLUE WATER NAVY IS A MARITIME FORCE CAPABLE OF NAVIGATING THE WORLD’S OPEN OCEANS IN A SAFE AND EFFICIENT MANNER.

BASICALLY…ABLE TO SAIL OUT ON THE WILD BLUE YONDER.

CHINA ISN’T THERE YET…AND THE LOCATION OF THEIR TWO NAVAL BASES PROVE THAT. THIS IS THE APPROXIMATE LOCATION OF THE REAM NAVAL STATION…AND THE OTHER OVER-SEAS STATION CHINA USES IS IN DJIBOUTI…WHICH IS RIGHT ABOUT HERE.

NOW, KEEP IN MIND THE EARTH IS ROUND, NOT FLAT LIKE THIS MAP…BUT EVEN THEN IT’S EASY TO SEE THE PLAN NEVER REALLY HAS TO LEAVE THE SAFETY OF THE SHORELINE TOO MUCH TO SAIL TO THESE BASES…THEY CAN PRETTY MUCH HUG THE COASTLINE TO GET WHERE THEY NEED TO GO.

SO, WHILE PLENTY OF FOLKS ARE TAKING NOTICE OF THE NEWEST CHINESE NAVAL BASE–IT’S NOT NECESSARILY A SURPRISE IT WAS BUILT…BUT IT DOES ADD TO THE CONCERN OF GROWING CHINESE NAVAL AGGRESSION IN THE REGION.