Chinese warships plan visit to Cambodia amid US worries

This satellite photo taken by Planet Labs PBC shows two Chinese corvettes docked at the Ream Naval Base on the Gulf of Thailand on May 8, 2024. - AP

BEIJING: China will send two warships to Cambodia and Timor-Leste from the first half of May to mid-June, its defence ministry said, potentially further unnerving the United States over concerns about growing Chinese presence at a key Cambodian naval base.

China will send its largest naval training ship Qijiguang along with a giant amphibious warfare ship Jinggangshan to the two countries for training with local naval cadets to enhance mutual trust between their navies, the Chinese defence ministry said in a statement on Thursday (May 9).