China ‘establishes’ military base abroad where it showed war robots months ago

Thomas Shugart, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, noted that the PLA is actively utilizing the facility, despite ongoing construction. According to a Cambodian defense official on July 2, Chinese warships recently arrived at Ream, indicating they will maintain a rotational presence there as described by Shugart.

“I imagine that presence will be become more robust, perhaps with permanently stationed forces,” he noted, adding that such presence might increase when there are additional logistical facilities.

In Cambodia, China showcased its machine-gun-toting “robodog” drones during a 15-day military exercise in May.

China’s four-legged, remote-controlled drone soldiers came equipped with back-mounted machine guns. While the drones were reportedly not live-fire tested, China did show off their mobility by watching Cambodian top brass and journalists.

According to Shugart, a retired US Navy captain, China’s outpost at Ream appears to be a medium-sized naval base equipped for training, maintenance, personnel support, and supply functions. These capabilities are expected to support missions such as training exercises, patrols in nearby and distant seas, and in wartime, safeguarding China’s southern sea routes.

Chinese military presence grows amid global investments

The developments at Ream highlight China’s growing presence abroad, with security forces operating satellite tracking stations and intelligence facilities globally, including in the Western Hemisphere, and maintaining a paramilitary outpost in Tajikistan. 

Chinese investments in international port facilities, often dual-use for both commercial and potential military purposes, have raised concerns about Beijing’s expanding access and influence.

Since 2020, the US Defense Department’s annual report on China’s military has identified several countries where China is deemed to be exploring or developing military facilities. The latest report, released in October, together with Tajikistan mentions Burma, Thailand, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the UAE, Kenya, Equatorial Guinea, Seychelles, Tanzania, Angola, Nigeria, Namibia, Mozambique, Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands.

A 2022 RAND Corporation report ranked 108 countries by their attractiveness to China for military purposes and the feasibility of securing basing or access, focusing on the 2030-2040 period. Four countries—Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Cambodia—emerged in the top tier for both factors, all benefiting from Chinese-backed port and infrastructure projects, Breaking Defense adds.

In the RAND report, 24 countries ranked in the top half, with 10 in the US Central Command, and seven each in the US Africa Command and US Indo-Pacific Command areas. Middle Eastern countries scored higher due to proximity to key sea lanes, terrorism threats, energy exports, and potential for deeper ties with China.