Ream Naval Base, which can dock aircraft carriers, poses a significant challenge to the United States in ‘freedom of navigation’ operations
Ream Naval Base in Cambodia was a small port facing the South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. In the 1970s, the Cambodian government built a base here in Sihanoukville Province, 168km southwest of the capital Phnom Penh, where three or four patrol boats patrolling the coast could dock with support from the British Navy. In October 2020, the Cambodian government dredged the port and nearby waters to allow large ships to dock. Base expansion work also began in June last year. At the time, Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wentian attended the groundbreaking ceremony. The Chinese government has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in funding and construction technology to the Cambodian government for dredging and expansion of this base.
According to satellite images recently taken by Black Sky, an American commercial satellite image provision and analysis company, the Ream Naval Base is very similar to the overseas naval base built by China in Djibouti, East Africa. The pier here is 335 meters long, allowing aircraft carriers to call at the port. China established its first overseas naval base in Djibouti in 2017. The Djibouti Naval Base also has a 335m long pier where large ships such as aircraft carriers can dock.
Western media pointed out that the reason China has been actively supporting the expansion of the Ream Naval Base is because of its intention to station its own naval vessels, including aircraft carriers. The American Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that the Chinese government signed a secret agreement with the Cambodian government in 2019 to exclusively use 50,000 m2, one-third of the Ream Naval Base, for 30 years and to be automatically renewed every 10 years thereafter. did. The British Financial Times (FT) pointed out that a dock for aircraft carriers of the same type as the Chinese naval base in Djibouti is being completed at the Ream Naval Base. The U.S. government also believed that the Ream Naval Base expansion project was intended to build a Chinese naval base and requested transparent disclosure of information from the Chinese and Cambodian governments, but both countries denied this.
In fact, it is observed that China is trying to station its fleet by making Ream Naval Base a second overseas naval base. Two Chinese warships conducted preparations by calling at Ream Naval Base on December 3. At the time, the Chinese warship’s port call took place at the same time as Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission He Weidong visited Cambodia. This is the first case of a foreign warship docking at Ream Naval Base.
Craig Singleton, a senior researcher at the U.S. think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), analyzed, “The arrival of the Chinese warship at Ream Naval Base reveals China’s long-hidden military goals.” All Chinese warships can dock at Ream Naval Base, including the Chinese aircraft carrier Fujian, which is 300 meters long. The U.S. ‘Washington Post’ assessed that if the Chinese military is stationed here, it will become Southeast Asia’s first overseas military base and the second overseas military base after Djibouti. The Cambodian government plans to complete base expansion work by the end of the year and begin full-scale operation next year.
The reason China wants to build an overseas naval base here is closely related to the Strait of Malacca. China has been experiencing the ‘Malacca Dilemma’. Former Chinese President Hu Jintao described this as the Malacca Dilemma in 2003, saying that China can only transport energy through the Strait of Malacca. China is the world’s largest energy consumer and importer. 80% of all energy is transported from the Middle East and Africa through the Strait of Malacca, which has caused security instability.
The Strait of Malacca is an international strait between Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore. It is a passage connecting the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea with a length of 900 km, a width of 2.8 to 100 km, and an average depth of 25 to 27 m. China has been wary of the possibility that the United States could tighten its lifeline by blocking the Strait of Malacca. China’s plan to build a second overseas naval base at Ream Naval Base is also to alleviate energy security concerns. From China’s perspective, Ream Naval Base is a geopolitically important strategic point. Ream Naval Base is located 800km from the Strait of Malacca. If China deploys an aircraft carrier strike group here, it can immediately deploy to the Strait of Malacca in case of emergency, thereby making up for its strategic weakness.
There may also be an intention to secure maritime rights in the South China Sea against the United States. To the east of Ream Naval Base is the South China Sea. If China stations an aircraft carrier strike group at Ream Naval Base, it will be significantly advantageous in securing maritime authority in the South China Sea. China has drawn an imaginary line in the South China Sea, the so-called ‘Nine Dash Line’, and has claimed that the inside of this line is its own sea. The South Sea Nine-Dash Line is a nine-line line that marks China’s jurisdictional boundaries in the South China Sea, and when connected, it forms the letter U. 90% of the total area of the South China Sea, 3.5 million square kilometers, lies inside this line. Because of this, China has been in conflict with the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei, which border the South China Sea.
China has built seven artificial islands in the South China Sea and created military bases. If China stations its ships at Ream Naval Base, it can effectively respond to the United States’ ‘freedom of navigation’ operation by linking it with artificial islands. Moreover, unlike the artificial island base, Ream Naval Base is Cambodian territory. If an armed conflict breaks out between the United States and China, it will not be easy for the United States to respond. A former U.S. intelligence official said, “If the U.S. bombs this base, it will be attacking Cambodian territory,” and “This is why China, which has bases on Hainan Island and several islands in the South China Sea, is trying to build a naval base in Cambodia. “He said.
WSJ pointed out, “If Chinese naval vessels use Ream Naval Base as a de facto forward base, it could have a significant impact on regional security, including not only the territorial dispute in the South China Sea but also armed conflict on both sides of the Strait (China and Taiwan).” WP also analyzed, “Securing a base where large naval ships can be stationed in the western South China Sea is an important element of China’s ambition to expand its influence in the region,” and added, “This will strengthen China’s position in major maritime routes in Southeast Asia.” .
Ream Naval Base can be of significant help to Chinese aircraft carriers in their operations not only in the South China Sea but also in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. China does not yet have a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, so there are problems with logistics such as fuel supply. In the case of the Liaoning and Shandong, the number of training days for ocean operations is about 15 days. About 15 days after departure, you may run out of fuel to return to your home port. This is why the Chinese military deploys a large 48,000-ton general supply ship together with the aircraft carrier battle group whenever it is deployed. Ream Naval Base can also serve as a logistics base for naval vessels such as Chinese aircraft carriers.
In addition, the Chinese military is expected to use Ream Naval Base as a ground base for the Beidou system, China’s version of the Global Positioning System (GPS). The Beidou system provides accurate location information and navigation functions for the operation of military forces, various ships and fighters, and precise guidance of missiles.
Cambodia is a representative pro-China country. In particular, China has actively supported the hereditary system of former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and his eldest son, Prime Minister Hun Manet. Former Prime Minister Hun, who ruled Cambodia with an iron fist for 38 years, handed over the prime ministership on August 7 to his eldest son, Hun Manet, deputy commander of the military and an army general. Following King Norodom Sihamoni’s approval, Prime Minister Hun Manet was officially inaugurated on August 22. At the time, the Chinese government announced that it actively supported Cambodia’s power succession and that it would expand political, economic, and military support.
Vice President Heo met with Prime Minister Hun Manet and his father, former Prime Minister Hun Sen, in Phnom Penh on December 4 and discussed ways to solidify the strategic cooperation relationship between the two countries. Vice President Heo emphasized, “The two countries’ militaries have maintained a high level of cooperation in the areas of high-level exchanges, mechanism building, joint training, and individual training,” and added, “China and Cambodia will further strengthen the community of shared future between the two countries.” The Chinese Navy also conducted joint maritime exercises with the Cambodian Navy for the first time in Cambodian territorial waters in March.
China supported the construction of a highway connecting Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville as part of the One Belt One Road (Land and Maritime Silk Road) project. It is estimated that there are 100,000 to 250,000 Chinese people living and doing business in Sihanoukville. If China uses Ream Naval Base as a second overseas naval base, it will pose a significant geopolitical challenge to the United States.
〈This article
Weekly Donga
It was published in issue 1419〉
Jang-Hoon Lee, international affairs analyst [email protected]
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.