REAM NAVAL BASE

July 26, 2019

China and Cambodia have reportedly signed a secret pact allowing China exclusive use of a naval base on the Gulf of Thailand, although officials from both countries have denied such a deal exists.

About:

Location: Ream Naval Base is a facility operated by the Royal Cambodian Navy on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand in the province of Sihanoukville, Cambodia.
Recent agreement: According to a Wall Street Journal report, the agreement would allow China use of the Ream naval base for 30 years, where it would be able to post military personnel, store weapons and berth warships.
Significance:
- This would be china’s second overseas naval foothold, after a base in Djibouti opened in 2017.
- Basing rights would extend China’s strategic military footprint into Southeast Asia considerably, and help bolster its territorial claims in the disputed South China Sea.