MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd July, 2019) Beijing and Phnom Penh signed in spring a secret agreement that allowed China to use a naval base in Cambodia, according to media reports.
Under the agreement China got an exclusive right to use the Ream naval base on the Gulf of Thailand near a large airport, which is being constructed by a Chinese company, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.
The 30-year deal can be automatically prolonged every 10 years. Exact details of the agreement remain unknown but China will reportedly have a right to deploy military personnel, store arms and berth vessels on the base.
The base will reportedly expand Chinese capabilities to protect its interests in the South China Sea and boost presence near the Strait of Malacca.
Both Chinese and Cambodian officials have refuted the rumors, saying that no such agreement had been signed.
The South China Sea is home to several territorial disputes, with Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam all laying various claims.
