Thayer Consultancy Background Briefing:

ABN # 65 648 097 123

Cambodia: China’s Military
Footprint in Cambodia
Carlyle A. Thayer
July 24, 2019

We seek your assessment of reports that China is about to establish a military

presence in Cambodia.
Recently The Wall Street Journal reported about a possible secret deal between
Cambodia and China - even if both deny its - suggesting that military cooperation
between the two countries has become closer reflecting Cambodia’s already strong
economic and political dependence on China.
Q1. Do you think in the long-term Cambodia can get out of its dependency on China;
e.g. would Cambodia be able to refuse a Chinese demand for a military base at Ream?
ANSWER: Cambodia’s current dependency on China is self-inflicted; it is Hun Sen’s
response to a drum beat of criticism from the United States and Europe extending
back to May 1993, when he refused to accept the results of a UN supervised election,
up to the present when Hun Sen emasculated the liberal multiparty political system
enshrined in Cambodia’s Constitution.
Hun Sen has already may a compact with the devil to ensure his regime’s survival.
Cambodia is no longer a sovereign actor; it may make requests for Chinese assistance
but it is China that determines what projects are funded and which projects are not.
The crux of the matter regarding a Chinese “military base” is semantic. The Wall Street
Journal noted that the draft agreement stopped short “of a full-scale Chinese base.”
China sought instead a naval staging facility at Ream. From what we know so far, Hun
Sen already agreed to give China use of the naval facilities for 30 years, with automatic
renewal every 10 years. Though both sides now deny this to be the case it is clear that
Hun Sen will acquiesce to Chinese “requests”.
Q2. The Wall Street Journal report also highlights the ongoing concern about potential
military use of the Dara Sakor resort airport and/or port. Do you think those concerns
are valid given that Dara Sakor is some distance from Ream Naval base? Does the
geography of the Dara Sakor area make sense for a Chinese military base?
ANSWER: Dara Sakor airport is 3 kilometers long, roughly the same length as the three
airfields on China’s artificial islands. These airfields are capable of taking Boeing 747s
and Airbus A380s and all aircraft in China’s military inventory including long-range
bombers and military transports. More telling, satellite imagery indicates that
preparations are underway for runway turns used by fighter aircraft for quick takeoffs
and landings.
 2

According to an Australian intelligence official, the Dara Sakor runway “seems far
longer than needed for any normal commercial purpose or aircraft, and certainly
longer than necessary for any tourist development envisaged here.”
When the construction at Dara Sakor is completed it is likely that these facilities could
be used by Chinese military aircraft at short notice for humanitarian assistance and
disaster relief, search and rescue in the event of a major aircraft disaster (similar to
the MH 370 with many Chinese passengers), and non-combat evacuation of Chinese
citizens in the event of civil unrest in Cambodia.
Q3. Any other comments you have regarding this topic?
ANSWER: Article 53 of the Cambodian Constitution states:
The Kingdom of Cambodia shall not permit any foreign military base on its
territory and shall not have its own military base abroad, except within the
framework of a United Nations request.
The Kingdom of Cambodia reserves the right to receive foreign assistance in
military equipment, armaments, ammunition, in training of its armed forces, and
other assistance for self-defense and to maintain public order and security within
its territory.
China is likely to establish a military foothold in Cambodia as a result of a gradual
process whose pace will be determined by the amount of political resistance in
Cambodia and the region. China has already established a substantial footprint
providing professional military education and training for the army.
Chinese warships visit Cambodia regularly and exercise with the Cambodian Navy. It
is clear from the draft agreement that China was seeking to establish an
“extraterritorial enclave” at Ream where its military personnel would be accorded
special status. While sovereignty would reside with the state of Cambodia, as a matter
of practicality Cambodia would accept the deployment of Chinese military personnel
and weapons and provide berths for Chinese warships. U.S. officials argue that
Chinese military would carry “Cambodian passports” and Cambodians would be
required “to get Chinese permission to enter the 62-acre Chinese section at Ream”.

Media Identification: The University of New South Wales, Canberra or The University
of New South Wales at the Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra.

Suggested citation: Carlyle A. Thayer, “Cambodia: China’s Military Footprint in

Cambodia,” Thayer Consultancy Background Brief, July 24, 2019. All background briefs
are posted on Scribd.com (search for Thayer). To remove yourself from the mailing list
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Thayer Consultancy provides political analysis of current regional security issues and
other research support to selected clients. Thayer Consultancy was officially
registered as a small business in Australia in 2002.