Will US warship visit calm fears of ‘intelligence outpost’ at Cambodian naval base?

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 2 min read 100% complete by Maria SiowJanuary 30, 2026 at 07:53 AM

AI Summary

short article 2 min

The USS Cincinnati recently docked at Cambodia's Ream Naval Base, marking the first visit by a U.S. warship since the base's expansion, heavily funded by China, was completed in April 2023. The visit aimed to strengthen cooperation between Cambodian and U.S. forces. Ream has undergone significant upgrades, including a deepwater pier and dry dock, raising concerns that it could become a permanent Chinese military outpost, similar to China's base in Djibouti. While Cambodia insists the base is open to all nations, Chinese naval vessels have maintained a consistent presence there since December 2023. Prior to the USS Cincinnati, Japanese and Vietnamese vessels have also visited Ream, highlighting Cambodia's attempt to balance international relations.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

In Sokhemra 40% Vietnamese People’s Navy 50% Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force 50% Djibouti 60% Beijing 70% Chinese People’s Liberation Army 70% China ×380% USS Cincinnati ×390% Cambodia ×290% United States ×390% Ream Naval Base ×5100%

Keywords

ream naval base 100% cambodia 90% us warship visit 90% chinese influence 80% military outpost 70% united states 70% naval cooperation 60% superpower balancing 60% military base 50% vessel visit 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.20

Source Transparency

Source

South China Morning Post

Political Lean

Center-Right (0.50)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Ream Naval Base

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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ream naval base cambodia us warship visit chinese influence military outpost united states naval cooperation superpower balancing military base vessel visit

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