A Chinese official said on Wednesday an “ironclad partnership” with Cambodia was bolstered by military cooperation, as work began on a China-funded upgrade of Cambodia’s biggest naval base that has raised US concern about China’s growing influence.
Cambodian Minister of Defence Tea Banh dismissed fears that Cambodia would let China build a military base on its soil, saying any country could use the facilities at the Ream naval base, while Cambodia was open to accepting military help from anyone.
“As a strong pillar of the ironclad partnership, China-Cambodia military cooperation is in the fundamental interests of our two nations and two peoples,” China’s ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wentian said in a speech at a ceremony to break ground at the base on the Gulf of Thailand.
