Cambodia Denies Secret Naval Base Deal With China

Phnom Penh: The Cambodian government denied on Monday the signing of a secret agreement with Beijing to allow China to use a naval base on the Gulf of Thailand. Quoting the unnamed US and allied officials, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that Phnom Penh and Beijing signed an agreement this spring that would guarantee China exclusive access to part of the Cambodian Navy’s Ream base in Sihanoukville province. This would mark China’s first naval outpost in Southeast Asia and comes amid tensions between the Asian giant and several countries over the militarization of and sovereignty disputes in the South China Sea. Cambodia’s leader, however, refuted the report, Efe news reported. “It was the worst distorted news against us. No such thing happens. The foreign military base is against Cambodia’s Constitution,” PM Hun Sen told the government-aligned Fresh News. (IANS)

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