A Cambodian naval base being constructed with the assistance of China will include a portion for the exclusive use of the Chinese military, according to a report in the Washington Post.
The Chinese and Cambodian governments have previously denied reports that Cambodia will allow a Chinese military presence at the Ream naval base on the Gulf of Thailand.
Such a presence would mark a significant expansion in China’s military access in the Indo-Pacific, where it currently only has one naval base, in the east African country of Djibouti.
Citing unnamed western and Chinese officials, the Post reported on Tuesday that the base will host the Chinese military in its northern section. One western official told the paper that expansion plans finalised in 2020 called for the Chinese military to have “exclusive use of the northern portion of the base, while their presence would remain…
