Is China Building A Secret Navy Base Near The Singapore Strait ?
▻https://gcaptain.com/china-secret-navy-base-near-singapore-strait
A new Washington Post report claims that China’s People Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is building a Navy base in Ream Cambodia, 565 Nautical Miles north of Singapore. The Singapore Strait is the western entrance to the South China Sea and one of the most important maritime “choke points” in the world with more than 83,000 ship transits annually.
By Philip J. Heijmans (Bloomberg) Cambodia dismissed concerns China is secretly building a naval facility in the Southeast Asian nation following a report published Monday the two sides are set to break ground on the military projects this week.
Western officials are concerned the countries are concealing moves to establish a Chinese military presence at the Ream Naval Base on the Gulf of Thailand, according to the Washington Post. This follows reports in 2019 that Beijing signed a secret pact to allow its armed forces to exclusively use parts of the base, a charge that has strained relations with the US.
While Cambodia’s main government spokesman, Phay Siphan, confirmed that the Asian countries will break ground on two port-related projects at the base this week, he rejected claims that China would have any exclusive access there. The program scheduled for Wednesday pertains to the construction of a vessel repair workshop and a slipway, he said.
“We invited diplomats in Cambodia to attend, so it’s nothing too secret,” Phay Siphan said by phone Tuesday, adding any exclusive military use of the base would violate the nation’s constitution. “Everyone can use it. We’re not looking for trouble.”
He said he had no knowledge of whether the ground station technology for a BeiDou navigation satellite system was located at the base as reported by the Post, which cited a Chinese official.
The situation in Cambodia adds to questions over China’s intentions in the region amid existing concerns it could use a security pact with the Solomon Islands to establish a naval base there, which Beijing denies. Foreign Minister Wang Yi has also recently visited a number of Pacific island nations hoping to secure development deals.
la carte vient de l’article de la Libre Belgique (à péage)
Au Cambodge, une zone militaire bientôt réservée à la marine chinoise - La Libre
▻https://www.lalibre.be/international/asie/2022/06/07/au-cambodge-une-zone-militaire-bientot-reservee-a-la-marine-chinoise-MCPLAKV