A few days ago, China's Ministry of National Defense announced that the Qi Jiguang and Jinggangshan (Type 071 landing ships) will visit Cambodia and Timor-Leste during their internship in the open sea. Among them, during the visit to Cambodia, the Chinese Navy cadets will conduct training in formation with the Cambodian cadets.
At the same time, the Chinese Navy's Qilianshan ship (the eighth Type 071 landing ship on the mainland) also carried more than 300 officers and soldiers of various arms to Cambodia to participate in the China-Cambodia "Golden Dragon-2024" joint military exercise.
[The People's Liberation Army prepares to go to Cambodia to participate in military exercises]
At present, the United States and the Philippines are conducting "shoulder-to-shoulder" joint military exercises in the South China Sea, and the regional situation continues to escalate, and the relationship between China and the Philippines is also becoming more and more tense. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) has an operation at this time, is it possible that it wants to "fight in the ring" with the United States and the Philippines?
In fact, last year's Sino-Cambodian joint military exercise was almost at this point in time, and it was also used to deploy troops on Type 071 landing ships, so it should be the norm after the PLA dispatched Type 071 landing ships.
However, the United States, which is bent on confronting China, has a weak heart and has broken its defenses. Because, as of now, two Chinese warships are being deployed at the Ream Naval Base in Cambodia for more than 5 months.
In this regard, a researcher from a US think tank said that the deployment of Chinese warships in Cambodia for up to five months means that China has begun to carry out permanent military deployment in Cambodia, and Chinese warships will also be deployed in the future.
In addition to the confrontational psychology with China, another reason why the United States is so sensitive to the movements of Chinese warships is that this Ream naval base is very special.
[Chinese Navy Qi Jiguang is about to visit Cambodia]
China has been involved in the expansion of the base, which will have a 335-meter-long pier that is fully capable of accommodating aircraft carriers. Moreover, in order to expand the base, the Cambodian government also demolished the buildings previously funded by the United States at the base, and the United States also asked the Cambodian side to provide relevant explanations at that time.
Then, from time to time, the United States hyped up the Ream naval base, claiming that China would deploy military forces there, and if the PLA had deployed at the base, a conflict in the South China Sea would be a good way to fill the supply gap of the Chinese navy. At the same time, former U.S. intelligence agents threatened that if the situation in the South China Sea really escalated into confrontation, the U.S. military could bomb Cambodian territory.
However, hype is only hype after all, and the Chinese side has long stressed that China's assistance to the expansion of the Ream Naval Base is not aimed at a third party, and it is a reasonable cooperation, and it will not use the base. Cambodia has also repeatedly helped China clarify that the deployment of Chinese warships here does not mean permanent deployment, and that these warships are currently training Cambodian crews and will participate in joint military exercises later in May.
And, if nothing else, when we talk about the establishment of overseas military bases, China and the United States have different starting points.
China has only one overseas military base, located in the small African country of Djibouti. However, this military base will be more suitable for its practical comprehensive support base.
【Satellite image of Ream Naval Base, Cambodia】
China has carried out escort operations in the Middle East and North Africa, especially in the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters, in which the Chinese Navy's escort formations play an important role.
Djibouti's geographical location is crucial, close to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which is the gateway from the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean. It shares borders with Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia, but its situation is more stable than countries such as Somalia and Yemen, which has attracted several major powers to set up military bases here.
China is no exception. The completion of the military base in Djibouti will ensure that the Chinese military can more effectively carry out international obligations such as international peacekeeping, escort and humanitarian assistance. By providing timely supplies and personnel recuperation, the base strengthens China's ability to participate in global governance and maintain international maritime security.
Therefore, China's establishment of a military base in Djibouti is not a military expansion in the traditional sense, but a reflection of China's self-consciousness as a responsible major country, aiming to contribute to the maintenance of regional and global peace and stability.
【China Djibouti Support Base】
Let's turn our heads and look at the United States. Which country has the most overseas military bases? The United States is in first place, and no one dares to say second. Data shows that as of 2020, the United States has deployed more than 800 military bases around the world, scattered in 159 countries and regions.
Moreover, the establishment of overseas military bases by the United States is essentially to serve its hegemonism.
These military bases have long been a key means for the United States to maintain its global influence and leadership. For the United States, these overseas bases are not only strategic fortresses, but also important fulcrums for its global military projection. In the Asia-Pacific region, for example, the United States has deployed a large number of military bases to deter China, Russia, and North Korea.
Moreover, there is a great deal of controversy over US military bases overseas, which pose a host of problems for the local area. Oil spills and improper waste disposal cause serious environmental pollution, threatening the local natural environment and the health of residents. The presence of U.S. troops stationed at the base has also led to frequent crimes in the area, making the local population angry and uneasy about the presence of U.S. troops.
In South Korea, Japan, the Philippines and other countries, disputes over the existence of US military bases are intensifying. Anti-American sentiment among the local population is gradually heating up, and more and more voices are calling for the withdrawal of US troops.
[Filipino people protest against US military bases]
Under such circumstances, what grounds and qualifications does the United States have to question and accuse China of permanent military deployment overseas? Not to mention that China has no plans to expand its overseas military layout now, and even if it does, China, as a peace-loving country, will deploy bases that will follow the model of Djibouti's support bases, so that the United States is even less qualified to criticize.
And we believe that with China's growing military strength and diplomatic efforts, there will be more such military cooperation. The current words and deeds of the United States are typical "double standards."
As for the South China Sea issue, this is a matter for China and the Philippines themselves, and it is not the turn of the United States to intervene. The PLA's actions around the South China Sea have nothing to do with the United States. Instead of clinging to China's normal military cooperation with foreign countries, the United States should reflect on why it has gradually gotten mixed up to the point where "people hate dogs."