Cambodia could face consequences if it allows China to use a naval base in the country, U.S. State Department Counselor Derek Chollet said in an interview with Nikkei, raising concerns over the Beijing-funded expansion of a naval base there.
“We don’t think it’s in [Cambodia’s] interest over the long term,” Chollet, who serves as an undersecretary-level policy adviser to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, said on Saturday during a visit to Singapore.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held last Wednesday for the expansion of the Ream Naval Base in southwestern Cambodia. A senior U.S. defense official has said that part of the base will be reserved for the sole use of the Chinese military.
