China to Transfer Two Ships and Pier to Cambodian Navy

30 Agustus 2024

Two PLAN Type 056 Corvettes – 630 Aba and 631 Tianmen – are docked at the pier at the Ream naval base in Cambodia (photo: RFA)

China is expected to soon hand over to the Cambodia navy two warships, a deep-draft pier long enough to accommodate aircraft carriers and facilities it has developed at a base on Cambodia’s coast, Cambodian sources with knowledge of the matter told Radio Free Asia.

About 100 Chinese naval personnel have been “working day and night” at a section of the Ream naval base in Sihanoukville province on the Gulf of Thailand preparing for the transfer to Cambodian control, which is likely to happen at the end of September, said the sources.

The PLAN Type 056 is similar to Damen Schelde’s SIGMA corvettes, four of which were built for the Indonesian Navy (image: Hudong Zhongua Shipbuilding Group)

In return, analysts say it is likely that the two countries have reached an agreement giving the Chinese navy privileged access to the new base, where until now no foreign vessels have been allowed to dock. 

According to satellite images, the new pier is estimated to be roughly 300 meters (1,000 feet) in length and “it ought to be able to accommodate any ship in the PLA Navy’s fleet, including its new Type 003 aircraft carrier,” Shugart told RFA.

The ships there earlier were the Wenshan (hull number 623) and Bazhong (hull number 625), which, beside training Cambodian sailors, took part in the joint Golden Dragon exercise in May with Cambodian naval vessels.

Cambodia’s Ream naval base in August 2024 (photo: RFA)

The ships at the base this month are the Aba (hull number 630) and Tianmen (hull number 631), both commissioned in January 2021.

The 300-foot (90-meter) Type 056A corvette is similar to the U.S.-built littoral combat ship, suitable for mid-range and littoral missions and equipped for anti-submarine warfare. The Chinese navy’s South Sea Fleet, which is responsible for activities in the Southeast Asia region, has 20 such vessels.

See full article RFA

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