PHNOM PENH: “Cambodia: China to Transfer Two Warships”, Cambodia announced on Thursday, September 5, that China will soon transfer two warships to enhance its defense capabilities. This move comes amid U.S. concerns about Beijing increasing its military influence in the strategic Gulf of Thailand.
Cambodia is a close ally of Beijing, and Washington has long harboured concerns about the Chinese-funded renovation of the kingdom’s Ream Naval Base.
Maly Socheata, a spokeswoman for the Cambodian defence ministry, told AFP that China would send the two new so-called Type 056C corvettes next year at the earliest.
“The only goal is to strengthen the capacity and ability of Cambodia to protect and maintain peace, stability, security as well as for supporting search and rescue operations and other humanitarian activities at sea,” Socheata added.
But Washington says the base could give Beijing a key strategic position on the Gulf of Thailand near the disputed South China Sea, which China largely claims.
