US warship docks in Cambodia, an important ally of China, for the first time in eight years

A U.S. Navy warship arrived in Cambodia on Monday, the first such visit in eight years to a nation that is a close ally of China in Southeast Asia. Cambodia’s government has suggested that the port stop reflects an improvement in often tense relations.

The USS Savannah docked at the port of Sihanoukville in the Gulf of Thailand for a five-day visit. The Savannah, classified as a littoral combat ship, carries a crew of 103.

“It’s great to be back, to have the American presence here again after eight years,” the ship’s commander, Daniel A. Sledz, said in brief remarks to reporters. A Cambodian officer handed her a bouquet of flowers and shook hands with a line of her colleagues.

For many years, the United States has had difficult relations with Cambodia, criticizing its government for political repression and human rights violations. There is particular concern about its close ties to China, which Washington fears could gain exclusive access to a Cambodian naval base in the Gulf of Thailand, not far from where the Savannah docked.

Recently, it appears that steps have been taken to improve relations.

Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defense said last week that the visit was scheduled after a request from the United States for a port stop and would “strengthen and expand friendly ties, as well as promote bilateral cooperation” between the two. nations.

Two days earlier, Cambodia’s Foreign Ministry highlighted the “positive momentum of bilateral relations and cooperation” and “the revitalization of military-to-military cooperation” between Cambodia and the United States.

United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin He visited Cambodia in early June, where he held talks with Prime Minister Hun Manet and other senior officials. He also met with Cambodian alumni of American military training programs. Hun Manet himself graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point.

The U.S. Department of Defense said at the time that the Austin discussions concerned “opportunities to strengthen the bilateral defense relationship between the United States and Cambodia in support of regional peace and security,” and other matters.

But Washington remains concerned that the improvement in Cambodia’s situation Ream Naval Base near Sihanoukville will serve Beijing’s strategic interests in the region.

The United States and others suggest that the Chinese navy is establishing a permanent base in Ream, which would give it easier access to the Strait of Malacca, a critical sea route between the two countries. South China Sea and the Indian Ocean.

Controversy over Chinese activity at Ream initially arose in 2019 when The Wall Street Journal reported that an early draft of an agreement seen by U.S. officials would allow China use of the base for 30 years, where it could station military personnel, store weapons and dock warships.

Cambodia’s government has denied such an agreement or any intention to grant China special privileges at the base, although Beijing has financed its expansion.

Washington has said the Ream base could give Beijing a key strategic position in the Gulf of Thailand, near the disputed South China Sea, which China claims almost entirely.

Chinese warships first docked at the 1,190-foot pier in December last year. Two of them docked at Sihanoukville port in May as part of Beijing’s largest joint military exercises with Cambodia.

The Chinese military this year introduced “robodogs” equipped with machine guns in the annual joint exercises, known as the “Golden Dragon” exercises.

Cambodia’s Defense Ministry said 27 U.S. Navy ships have visited the country since 2007, although the visit by the USS Savannah was the first docking in eight years.

On Monday, Beijing responded to the US warship’s visit to Sihanoukville by saying that “such security and defense exchanges and collaborations should contribute to promoting regional peace and stability, not the opposite.”

In September, Cambodia’s Defense Ministry said China is giving its navy two warships of the type it has had docked there for months. China is set to deliver two newly built Type 56 corvettes – smaller vessels typically used for coastal patrols – next year at the earliest, after Cambodia requested Chinese support.

Cambodia’s Defense Ministry said the Savannah port call will include “a working meeting with the commander of Ream Naval Base,” as well as meetings with provincial officials and “a friendly sports competition between Navy crews.” of the United States and the Cambodian Navy.

Cambodian Navy Captain Mean Savoeun, deputy commander of Ream Naval Base, was among those who welcomed the Savannah at the dock in Sihanoukville. He said he was happy to see the good relationship between Cambodia and the United States, especially its navies, and believed the visit would strengthen diplomatic cooperation.

The littoral combat ship USS Savannah (LCS 28) was commissioned in 2022 and is the sixth ship to be named after the city of Savannah. according to the US Navy.

“The LCS is a fast, agile and mission-focused platform, designed to operate in near-shore environments while also capable of performing tasks in the open ocean,” the Navy says. “The LCS can support forward presence, maritime security, maritime control and deterrence.

Agence France-Presse contributed to this report.