US Warship Arrives at Cambodia’s Newly Renovated Naval Base
In a carefully watched diplomatic move, a United States Navy warship docked Saturday at Cambodia’s newly renovated Ream Naval Base for the first time since extensive Chinese-led renovations transformed the facility. The arrival of the USS Cincinnati marks a symbolic bid for access to a strategic port that has become a focal point of geopolitical tension in Southeast Asia.
The littoral combat ship moored pierside just 150 meters away from a pair of Chinese warships, creating a stark visual of the major powers’ overlapping interests in the region.
A Base at the Center of Strategic Anxiety
The Ream base, off Cambodia’s southern coast on the Gulf of Thailand, has been a source of significant concern for Washington. U.S. officials worry the deep-water port, significantly upgraded with Chinese investment and inaugurated last year with Chinese military officials present, could provide Beijing with a critical strategic foothold near the contested South China Sea.
For years, reports and rumors have swirled about a secret agreement granting China exclusive military access, claims that Cambodian leaders—from former Prime Minister Hun Sen to his son and successor, Hun Manet—have consistently denied. They maintain the base is open to all nations.
A Visit Framed as “Tradition and Friendship”
The commanding officer of the USS Cincinnati, Commander Andrew J. Recame, framed the five-day port call as a hopeful new beginning. “It is our privilege and our honor to be here as the first US naval vessel to moor pierside at Ream Naval Base, and we hope this is the beginning of a longstanding tradition and friendship,” he told reporters.
Cambodian base officials echoed this sentiment, stating the visit would promote cooperation and demonstrate Cambodia’s “open policy, transparent and cooperation with international partners.”
A Delicate Balancing Act
The docking is a clear test of Cambodia’s stated policy of openness. Since the renovation’s inauguration last April, the base has hosted Japanese warships and, notably, Chinese vessels. The simultaneous presence of U.S. and Chinese ships underscores Phnom Penh’s delicate balancing act between its deep, long-standing alliance with Beijing and its efforts to maintain a degree of engagement with Washington.
The visit represents a modest but significant step in U.S.-Cambodian military relations, which have been strained for years. It follows a U.S. port call to a commercial harbor in 2024, the first in eight years.
While the sight of an American warship at Ream is diplomatically important, it does not dispel the underlying strategic competition. The base remains a potent symbol of China’s growing infrastructure and influence footprint across Cambodia and the broader region. For the United States, the successful visit is less about challenging Chinese presence and more about insisting on its own right of access, upholding the principle that key regional facilities should not fall under any single country’s exclusive control. The true test will be whether this “tradition” of visits continues, or remains a singular event in a port shaped by another power’s vision.
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