Australia voices concern over reports of China building military outpost in Cambodia

China is secretly building a naval facility in Cambodia for military service - the second such overseas outpost and a first in Indo-Pacific, according to a media report published on Monday. Previously, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) had only established a naval military base in the East African country of Djibouti. Beijing has steadily bolstered its military presence in the Indo-Pacific, predominantly in the South China Sea- a move that the West deemed as an attempt to alter the status quo in the region.

Meanwhile, the report in Washington Post revealed that the military outpost would be situated in the northern portion of the country’s Ream Naval Base, on the Gulf of Thailand. It further noted that the new base is a part of Beijing's strategy to build a network of military facilities around the world in support of its aspirations to become a true global power. Beijing considers the entire region in the South China Sea as its sovereign territory and makes regular patrols in the region. 

Australian PM Albanese voices concerns

Meanwhile, the announcement has left the newly minted PM of Australia ‘concerned”. Addressing media reporters in Indonesian city of  Makassar, he said, “This is concerning. We are in regular contact with the Cambodian government and we have been consistently assured that no foreign military will be granted exclusive access,” he said. Notably, a top Chinese official confirmed to the US daily that PLA would only use a “portion” of the base and not have exclusive rights over it. He also added that the area would also be used by scientists and that China was not involved in any activities on the Cambodian portion of the base.

On Monday, Albanese said, “We've been aware of Beijing's activity at Ream for some time and we encourage Beijing to be transparent about its intent and to ensure that its activity supports regional security and stability.” 

It is imperative to note that the diplomatic relationship between Australia and China has plunged manifold in the past months. Both the countries have been trading barbs over a number of issues including the coronavirus probe, the Chinese claim over the South China Sea, and Economic sanctions on imports. Interestingly, Russian President Vladimir Putin met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing just a few days before the invasion commenced. At the meeting, both sides pledged ‘friendship with no limits'.

(Image: AP)