Ream, Cambodia base getting noticed in Washington:
Chinese oversea bases
- Thread starter tphuang
- Start date
I've looked at this quite a bit recently. The Cambodian leader is pretty adamant that no foreign bases will be allowed in his country. Even so, I think this is going to happen. Outside of Malaysia and Indonesia, Ream is best place they can possibly have a base. It would be an extension of what they have in SCS and allow them to dominate SCS and be really competitive around Malacca strait and even into West part of Indian Ocean. I don't know how many ships they will want to station there. I think it's one of the few places where they can station a diesel fleet and really bother USN or RAN. That along with air base, ground launchers and a large base of ISR drones and hangars for bombers and fighter jets would allow them to really bother any opponent from Andamans to Malacca and over much of Indonesia. US military has been wailing against SCS islands because they give very real advantage to PLA in this region. Ream would give them much better access to Malacca and Andaman. It would pretty much forth USN carrier group coming from Indian Ocean to route south of Indonesia and around East of Borneo island (possibly even East of New Guinea) to avoid getting targeted by PLA land based fire power.
Now, if they can ever open a base in one of the Indonesian island between Borneo and New Guinea, they will be all set.
It will make a lot of sense if China wants to revive the Kra Canal project through the isthmus of Southern Thailand, right across the Gulf of Thailand from Ream.
Hope this project materialises thus aoiding the choke point at Malacca Straigt, and of course shorter route as well. Does anyone know the length of this canal?
The entire phrasing of Indo Pacific is just entirely stupid. Nobody in Asia calls in Indo Pacific. It's just an American phrase to make it sound less china centric. I think their Pacific island playbook is the correct way to go. It's the Donald trump approach. You try to shoot for the moon everywhere and your opponent then celebrates when you don't get everything, but then have accepted you will get some. Otherwise, you get the same recycled complaints everytime you try to open a new base.
With ream, they don't really need to avoid Malacca anymore. They can install enough anti ship missiles to threaten any naval ship moving through this area. They can have longer ranged aircraft with refuelling that can cover any conflict over the region.
What they need next is to convince Indonesia to partner up with them. That's the big prize in the region. I am not as concerned about oil from middle east anymore since they get plenty of oil from Russia and their local auto industry is rapidly adopting electric vehicles. Although, a base in southern Pakistan would be very helpful.
With ream, they don't really need to avoid Malacca anymore. They can install enough anti ship missiles to threaten any naval ship moving through this area. They can have longer ranged aircraft with refuelling that can cover any conflict over the region.
What they need next is to convince Indonesia to partner up with them. That's the big prize in the region. I am not as concerned about oil from middle east anymore since they get plenty of oil from Russia and their local auto industry is rapidly adopting electric vehicles. Although, a base in southern Pakistan would be very helpful.
It is against Cambodias constitution to host a base, I think this is another trap from China (like the PIC security proposal) to goad the West into looking more hysterical.
I expect the port to be developed for civilian purposes only, perhaps connecting, via road, to the China-Laos railway to encourage its extension. Could be an automated freight terminal for example.
China should follow the same logic that they used in Djibouti, which is to build a logistics base to support anti-piracy missions in the far seas while enabling the protection of major trade routes, which were previously undefended.
This means that the Gulf of Guinea should be the next location, which also helps secure Chinas South American and African ore shipments.
I guess: Senegal.
Wouldn't a port just for replenishment and repair be legal?
Depending on the exact wording of the constitutional provision, it might be OK if it is basically a logistics/repair facility with no permanently stationed forces.