Dredgers spotted near Cambodian baseSECRET AGREEMENT: China is paying for construction at Ream Naval Base, where dredging would be needed if larger military ships were to dock there, AMTI saidReuters, WASHINGTONDredgers have been spotted off Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base, where China is funding construction work and deeper port facilities would be necessary for the docking of larger military ships, a US think tank said on Friday. A soldier stands guard at Ream Naval Base in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, on July 26, 2019. It cited a 2019 Wall Street Journal report that said the deal granted China military access to the base in return for funding facilities improvements. AMTI said a commercial satellite image taken on Sunday last week showed two dredgers and barges for collecting dredged sand. A deep-water port would make it far more useful to both the Cambodian and Chinese navies,” it said.

Source: Taipei Times January 23, 2022 14:13 UTC