China is secretly building a naval facility in Cambodia for the exclusive use of its military, the two countries deny this is the goal and are taking extraordinary steps to hide the operation, Western sources said | “Great powers further promote their interests in their sphere of influence”
China builds secret military facility at sea in Cambodia “We must build a network of military installations around the world to support its aspirations to become a real world power,” officials told the Washington Post.
China’s only foreign military base at the moment is a naval facility in the country of Djibouti in East Africa. The existence of a facility capable of hosting large naval vessels west of the South China Sea will be an important component in China’s desire to expand its influence in the region and strengthen its presence near major routes in Southeast Asia, officials and analysts said.
“We appreciate that the Indo-Pacific is an important part of China’s leaders, who see the Indo-Pacific as China’s legal and historical sphere of influence,” said one Western official. “They see China’s rise as part of a global trend of a multi-polar world where major powers are furthering their interests in their sphere of influence.”
The Wall Street Journal reported in 2019 that China had signed a secret agreement allowing its military to use the base, quoting U.S. officials and its allies knowledgeable about the matter. But China and Cambodia denied the report, and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun San condemned it as “fake news.” A spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Defense at the time then condemned what he called “rumors” and said China only helped with military training and logistical equipment.
However, over the weekend, a Chinese official in Beijing confirmed to the Washington Post that “part of the base will be used by the Chinese military.” The official denied it would be for “exclusive” use by the military, saying scientists would also use the facility. The official added that the Chinese are not involved in any activity in the Cambodian part of the base.