First Among Piers: Chinese Ships Settle in at Cambodia's Ream

Picture: CSIS

An article by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) reveals Chinese military presence at Cambodia’s naval base raising questions about the relationship between China’s navy and Ream..

The two Chinese warships were first seen at Ream on December 3 in a Facebook post by Cambodia’s Defense Minister Tea Seiha saying that the ships were there for training engagements with the Cambodian navy. In January, it was reported by Radio Free Asia that they had left the base, before they were spotted again in March imagery of Ream in a report by Nikkei.

But commercial satellite imagery examined by AMTI shows that, in fact, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ships never left Ream, and have now maintained a consistent presence for over four months.