China’s growing military presence at Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base has once again ignited concerns in Washington and among its regional allies. First raised as a concern in 2019, reports of Chinese naval corvettes stationed at the recently upgraded Ream Naval Base suggest that Beijing is expanding its military footprint in Southeast Asia. The base, located strategically near the South China Sea, could serve as a critical asset in any potential conflict scenario with the US, especially concerning Taiwan. While Cambodia has denied that China has permanent military access to the base—an arrangement that would violate Cambodia’s constitution—the increasing military cooperation between the two countries is raising alarm in Western capitals.
The ongoing controversy over China’s activities in Cambodia comes amid a broader escalation in US-China tensions in the Pacific region, exemplified by the recent deployment of the US Typhon missile system in the Philippines. This move gives Manila, a key US ally, the capability to strike targets on the Chinese mainland in the event of a conflict, highlighting the intensifying military competition between the two superpowers.
Located along Cambodia’s southern coastline, the Ream Naval Base provides direct access to the Gulf of Thailand, and by extension, the South China Sea—a vital strategic waterway through which trillions of dollars of global trade passes annually. The base has drawn international attention due to its proximity to key shipping lanes and its potential to serve as a Chinese forward operating base, from which Beijing could project military power across the region.
In recent reports, satellite imagery captured by the BBC in October 2024 showed two Chinese naval corvettes docked at a newly constructed pier, alongside other facilities built by China. The imagery suggests that Beijing’s military presence at the base is expanding, fueling concerns that Ream may be used to support China’s growing ambitions in the region. While the Cambodian government insists that the base is intended for training and is open to all friendly nations, including the United States, skepticism persists.
From Washington’s perspective, the possibility of Chinese forces gaining a strategic foothold in Cambodia could be a game-changer in the Indo-Pacific. The US has long relied on its network of alliances and military bases in the region to counter China’s influence. A Chinese military presence at Ream would not only complicate the US’s ability to project power in the South China Sea but could also offer China a southern flank to monitor and disrupt US naval operations in nearby regions.
Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base is one piece of a much larger puzzle concerning China’s military expansion abroad. Through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China has invested in infrastructure projects across Asia, Africa, and even parts of Europe, building ports, railways, and highways. Many of these projects, though billed as commercial, have dual-use potential, meaning they can serve both civilian and military purposes.
The upgraded Ream Naval Base could provide logistical support for China’s growing fleet of warships and submarines operating in the South China Sea. It could also function as a hub for intelligence-gathering activities, as analysts have suggested that Chinese facilities at Ream may be used to collect valuable information on US and allied naval movements in the region.
According to Asia Times, the base’s enhancements also raise concerns about its potential use in a broader conflict. China could use Ream as a key outpost to counter US naval forces stationed in Singapore and potentially support operations aimed at isolating Vietnam or disrupting maritime activities around Indonesia’s Natuna Islands, which have been a source of tension between Beijing and Jakarta.
For Cambodia, its growing partnership with China has raised significant concerns about the erosion of its sovereignty. While Cambodia has denied claims that Chinese forces are permanently stationed at Ream, experts suggest that the arrangement may be more informal, allowing Chinese forces rotational access, similar to the US’s Visiting Forces Agreement with the Philippines.
Cambodia’s Constitution explicitly prohibits the permanent presence of foreign military bases on its soil. However, Cambodia’s increasing reliance on Chinese investments, loans, and military aid has led many observers to question the extent to which Phnom Penh is willing to accommodate China’s strategic interests in return for economic and security assurances. Cambodia’s leadership, under Prime Minister Hun Sen, may view China’s military assistance as a bulwark against regional rivals like Thailand and Vietnam, both of which have historically been more powerful militarily.
In addressing US concerns, Cambodian officials have repeatedly stressed that the Ream base is open to all friendly nations and not reserved for exclusive Chinese use. Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol, speaking at a think tank event in Washington in late 2024, reassured that the US Navy would be welcome to visit Ream once the expansion is complete. He emphasized that the base would be used for humanitarian, disaster relief, and joint military exercises, rather than becoming a permanent Chinese outpost.
Nevertheless, these reassurances have done little to assuage Washington’s concerns. Cambodia’s decision to demolish US-funded facilities at Ream in 2020, followed by its cancellation of joint naval exercises with the US, has only heightened suspicions about Phnom Penh’s alignment with Beijing.
As China strengthens its foothold in Cambodia, the US has been taking measures to shore up its own defenses in the region. One of the most controversial recent developments is the deployment of the Typhon missile system to the Philippines, which grants US forces and their allies the ability to strike Chinese targets with greater precision. The Typhon system, capable of launching Tomahawk and Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) missiles, represents a significant upgrade in the Philippines’ defensive capabilities and bolsters the US’s strategic posture in the region.
The US’s decision to deploy the Typhon system has been met with sharp criticism from China, which argues that the move will only exacerbate tensions and fuel a regional arms race. Beijing has long been wary of the US’s expanding military presence in the Indo-Pacific, viewing it as part of a broader containment strategy aimed at preventing China’s rise.
For the Philippines, the Typhon deployment reflects its increasingly complex relationship with both China and the US. While the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has sought to maintain good relations with Beijing, particularly in the economic sphere, it has also moved closer to Washington on defense matters. This balancing act is reflective of the broader regional dynamics, where many Southeast Asian nations find themselves caught between the US and China as the two superpowers vie for influence.
China’s activities at Ream are not limited to projecting military power; they also serve a critical intelligence-gathering function. By maintaining a presence at Ream, China could potentially monitor US naval operations, collect data on regional military exercises, and keep tabs on rival claimants in the South China Sea, including Vietnam and the Philippines.
China’s use of dual-use infrastructure for intelligence purposes is not unique to Southeast Asia. In Latin America, Beijing has established multiple intelligence-gathering facilities in Cuba, further illustrating its global ambition to expand its intelligence capabilities. These bases, some of which date back to the Cold War era, allow China to monitor US military activities along the southeastern seaboard, including critical military bases and space launch centers. Similar activities in Southeast Asia, facilitated through Ream, would give China a strategic advantage in monitoring US activities in the region.
Moreover, China’s activities at Ream could pose a direct challenge to Vietnam, with whom Beijing has ongoing territorial disputes in the South China Sea. By strengthening its presence in Cambodia, China could potentially encircle Vietnam, stretching the capabilities of the Vietnamese navy and maritime law enforcement agencies.
China’s growing military presence at Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base has raised alarm bells in Washington and across the Indo-Pacific. As the US and China continue to vie for influence in the region, the base has emerged as a potential flashpoint in the broader strategic competition between the two superpowers. While Cambodia insists that the base will not be used exclusively by China, the evidence of growing Chinese involvement suggests that Beijing may be gaining a critical foothold in Southeast Asia.
The US’s deployment of the Typhon missile system in the Philippines underscores the escalating tensions in the region, as both sides seek to entrench their positions. The military and intelligence-gathering activities at Ream, combined with China’s growing presence in other parts of the world, signal that the contest for strategic dominance in the Indo-Pacific is far from over. As both China and the US ramp up their efforts, the region is likely to see further militarization, raising the stakes for all parties involved.
