US, China in a tit-for-tat military basing battle

China’s apparently expanding military presence at Cambodia’s overhauled Ream Naval Base is once again raising alarm bells in Washington, a development first flagged in 2019 as a secret deal two years after Phnom Penh canceled Angkor Sentinel military exercises with US forces.

China’s military access to Cambodia’s port potentially gives it a strategic southern flank on the South China Sea, which could be leveraged in any conflict scenario with the US, including over Taiwan. Cambodia has persistently denied it has allowed Chinese troops to permanently station on its soil, which is banned under its constitution.

The latest uproar over Cambodia coincides with America’s controversial Typhon missile system deployment in the Philippines, a move that gives Manila the new capability to hit targets on the China mainland in any conflict scenario.

This month, BBC reported on the presence of Chinese naval corvettes at Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base, raising concerns in the US about China’s reputed expanding military footprint there. BBC says the two Type A56 corvettes, visible from satellite imagery, are docked at a new Chinese-built pier alongside other Chinese-constructed facilities.

The Cambodian government claims the base is for training and is open to all friendly navies. However, it says the US is wary, citing China’s ambition to become a global military power, including by leveraging Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) investments in ports and other infrastructure with dual military use that could allow China privileged access in a conflict scenario.

Addressing US concerns, Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol announced that the US Navy would be welcome to visit the Ream Naval Base once its expansion, funded by China, is