US monitoring reports of Chinese warships at Cambodian base

Sailors stand guard near patrol boats at the Cambodian Ream Naval Base in Sihanoukville, Cambodia in this file photo from July 26, 2019. - Reuters

WASHINGTON: The United States is monitoring reports of Chinese warships docking in Cambodia and has serious concerns about Beijing's plans to have exclusive control over parts of the main naval base there, a State Department spokesperson said on Wednesday (Dec 6).

Radio Free Asia reported on Tuesday that Chinese warships had arrived at Cambodia's Ream Naval Base and cited Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Seiha as saying in a Facebook post on Sunday that this was "in preparation for training" of the Cambodian Navy.