China currently has only one overseas base, which is located in Djibouti near the Gulf of Aden, providing logistical support for the Chinese Navy's anti-piracy escort operations in the Gulf of Aden. In fact, a number of countries have set up military bases in Djibouti, including Japan, which is not small. The Chinese Navy has maintained escort operations in the Gulf of Aden on a rotational basis, during which it has used not only missile destroyers and missile frigates, but also amphibious dock landing ships to patrol in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. Through anti-piracy escort operations, in addition to maintaining the security of the country's shipping routes, the Chinese Navy's far-sea combat capability has been improved.
The West is very concerned about the dynamics of the Chinese Navy around the world, and recently the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a US think tank, released a report claiming that the Chinese Navy has two Type 056 missile frigates docked in the port of Ream in Cambodia for several months. The U.S. think tank claimed that Chinese naval warships had arrived at Cambodian ports since December 2023 and showed no signs of leaving, so the U.S. think tank concluded that China had built a new overseas military base in Cambodia. In response to the hype in the Western media, as well as the inferences of American think tanks, the Cambodian Ministry of Defense has publicly responded on May 8.
A spokesman for the Cambodian Ministry of National Defense said that the docking of Chinese naval warships in Cambodia is to train Cambodian naval personnel, not only because of the joint military exercises between China and Cambodia, but also because Cambodia is considering the purchase of warships of the same type. As to whether it is an overseas military base, the Cambodian Ministry of National Defense reiterated that it is clearly forbidden for any country to deploy military forces in Cambodia, which is the content of the Cambodian Constitution, and Cambodia has long abided by the relevant provisions. Previously, Cambodia had publicly denied that the relevant ports belonged to China's overseas bases, and the then Cambodian Prime Minister Hong Shen also publicly responded, claiming that Cambodia welcomes ships from all countries to visit, but there is no corresponding military provision.
However, the Western media has always maintained a skeptical posture in response to Cambodia, and the West believes that the Chinese navy has actually been deployed in Cambodia and has carried out corresponding training and patrol missions. Ream Port is located in the Gulf of Thailand, with Vietnam to the east and Thailand to the west. Compared with the rest of the islands and reefs in the South China Sea, it will be more convenient to reach the southern waters of the South China Sea from Ream Port, for which the Western media believes that the docking of Chinese warships at Ream Port is a manifestation of the de facto military base, and has begun to hype it up, especially when the United States is actively encircling and containing China, and the West is holding a microscope to see the dynamics of the Chinese Navy.
The relationship between China and Cambodia is very close, and now Cambodia has been integrated into China's economic development, and Cambodia has gained many opportunities for development when China's economy is driving the economic recovery of ASEAN. For the close cooperation between China and Cambodia, the West is trying to undermine it by smearing and slandering. The cooperation between China and ASEAN countries has already worried the United States, because the deepening of economic and trade cooperation between ASEAN and China can reduce its dependence on Europe, the United States and Western countries in the field of trade. At a time when the United States is actively suppressing China, the United States has been making constant moves in the Asia-Pacific region, and for this reason, it has not forgotten to continue to hype up the so-called "Chinese military threat" in the field of public opinion.