The United States will send a warship to Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base for the first time since reports emerged in 2019 of a secret deal allowing China to establish a permanent military presence there, Bloomberg reports.
The USS Savannah, an Independence-class littoral combat ship, will dock at the base on Monday for a five-day visit, according to a Friday announcement by Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defense.
The visit, involving 103 crew members, will include meetings with the base commander and provincial officials. The ministry described the event as a “milestone” in improving US-Cambodia relations, stating it will “strengthen and expand friendship, as well as promote bilateral cooperation.”
The move represents a significant attempt by Washington to repair its relationship with Cambodia following persistent concerns over a purported 2019 agreement granting China exclusive access to a portion of the Ream Naval Base, located on the Gulf of Thailand. The US has previously warned that this would establish China’s first military outpost in the Indo-Pacific.
Cambodian authorities have consistently denied the existence of such an agreement, maintaining that a foreign military base would violate national sovereignty. China has similarly denied plans to establish a military base in Cambodia, asserting that renovations at Ream are solely aimed at bolstering the Cambodian navy’s capabilities to combat maritime crime and protect its territorial integrity.
A recent report by the Lowy Institute in Sydney suggests that China is unlikely to gain full control of Ream due to its limited strategic value in Beijing’s South China Sea power projection efforts. The report cites geographical limitations and domestic political constraints within Cambodia as significant obstacles.
However, China’s continued support for the base’s redevelopment, including a rare visit by Chinese warships last year, has fueled US concerns.
