U.S. warship docks in Cambodia, a top Chinese ally, for first time in 8 years
A U.S. Navy warship arrived in Cambodia on Monday, the first such visit to Cambodia’s close ally in eight years. China In Southeast Asia. The Cambodian government said the port call reflected an escalation in often tense relations.
The USS Savannah is docked at Sihanoukville in the Gulf of Thailand for a five-day visit. The Savannah is classified as a littoral combat ship and carries a crew of 103 people.
“It’s great to be back and have America back here again after eight years,” the ship’s commanding officer, Daniel A. Sledz, said in brief remarks to reporters. A Cambodian official presented him with a bouquet of flowers and shook hands with a team of her colleagues.
The United States has had a rocky relationship with Cambodia for years, criticizing its government for political repression and human rights abuses. There are particular concerns about its close relationship with China, which Washington fears may have exclusive access to a Cambodian naval base in the Gulf of Thailand, not far from where the Savannah is docked.
YARN SOVEIT/AFP via Getty Images
Recently, there seems to be a move to repair the relationship.
The Cambodian Defense Ministry said last week that the visit was arranged in response to a U.S. request to visit the port and would “strengthen and expand the bonds of friendship between the two countries and promote bilateral cooperation.”
Two days ago, Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted the “positive momentum of bilateral relations and cooperation” and “revitalized military cooperation” between Cambodia and the United States.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin He visited Cambodia in early June and held talks with Prime Minister Hun Manai and other senior officials. He also met with Cambodian alumni of U.S. military training programs. Hong Manet himself graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point.
The Defense Department said at the time that Austin’s discussions addressed “opportunities to strengthen the U.S.-Cambodia bilateral defense relationship to support regional peace and security” among other matters.
But Washington remains concerned about Cambodia’s escalation Ream Naval Base The base near Sihanoukville would serve Beijing’s strategic interests in the region.
The United States and other countries say the Chinese navy is building a permanent base in Yungling that will give it easier access to the Strait of Malacca, a key shipping lane between China and the United States. South China Sea and the Indian Ocean.
Controversy over China’s activities in Ream first arose in 2019, when the Wall Street Journal reported that an early draft of an agreement seen by U.S. officials would allow China to use the base for 30 years, where it would be able to deploy military Personnel, materials and supplies. Weapons and moored warships.
Although Beijing has provided funding for its expansion, the Cambodian government denies such an agreement or any intention to give China special privileges at the base.
Washington says the Ream base could give Beijing a key strategic position in the Gulf of Thailand near the disputed South China Sea, which China claims nearly all of.
In December last year, Chinese warships docked at the 1,190-foot-high pier for the first time. In May, two ships anchored in Sihanoukville Port as part of the largest joint military exercise between Beijing and Cambodia.
The Chinese military this year demonstrated a machine-gun-equipped “robot dog” at an annual joint exercise known as the “Golden Dragon” exercise.
Cambodia’s Defense Ministry said 27 U.S. Navy ships have visited the country since 2007, although the USS Savannah’s visit was the first in eight years.
YARN SOVEIT/AFP via Getty Images
On Monday, Beijing responded to a U.S. warship’s visit to Sihanoukville by saying, “Such exchanges and cooperation on security and defense should help promote regional peace and stability, not the opposite.”
In September, the Cambodian Defense Ministry said that China would provide the Cambodian Navy with two warships that have been docked in Cambodia for several months. China is set to hand over two new Type 56 frigates – small vessels typically used for coastal patrols – as early as next year after Cambodia requested its support.
The Cambodian Defense Ministry said the Savannah’s port visit will include “a working meeting with the commander of Ream Naval Base,” meetings with provincial officials and “friendly sports competitions between U.S. Navy and Cambodian Navy personnel.”
Mean Savoeun, deputy commander of Ream Naval Base and Cambodian Navy Captain, also welcomed the Savannah at the dock when it arrived in Sihanoukville. He said he was happy to see that Cambodia and the United States, especially the two navies, maintain good relations and believed that this visit would bring closer diplomatic cooperation.
The Littoral Combat Ship USS Savannah (LCS 28) will be commissioned in 2022 and is the sixth ship named after the city of Savannah. According to the U.S. Navy.
“The Littoral Combat Ship is a fast, agile, mission-focused platform designed to operate in a nearshore environment while capable of conducting high seas missions,” the U.S. Navy said. “The Littoral Combat Ship can support forward presence, Maritime security, sea control and deterrence.
AFP contributed to this report.
