SINGAPORE, June 9 (Reuters) - A decision by Cambodia to expand its biggest naval base and allow the Chinese military exclusive use of a portion of it shows an extraordinary lack of transparency, a senior U.S. defense official said on Thursday. A Chinese official said on Wednesday an "iron-clad partnership" with Cambodia was bolstered by military cooperation, as work began on a China-funded upgrade of Cambodia's Ream naval base.

 

 

Cambodian Minister of Defense Tea Banh has dismissed fears that it would let China build a military base on its soil, saying any country could use the facilities at the Ream naval base, while Cambodia was open to accepting military assistance from anyone.

 

The United States believes that the expansion plans for the base included exclusive use of the northern portion of the base for China's military and neither country had shared full details about the extent of Beijing's plans to have a unilateral military base there.

 

read more https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/us-says-there-is-extraordinary-lack-transparency-over-chinese-activity-cambodia-2022-06-09/

 

Oh dear, guess its a bit like the lack of transparency previously when the CIA have tried to bring about regime change in other countries.

“Unnamed Defense Official”? I’m American and if this statement is true then it is hypocritical. If Cambodia invited China in then as they say “Too Bad”.  The the Defense Department should ask another country in the region for an invitation to build a base.  

 

I was told by a retired Army Colonel that one of the purpose for invading and then staying in Afghanistan for so many years was to maintain a military presence to keep in China in check(Afghanistan and China have a common border). I guess that is no more since August 2021.