Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi on Tuesday expressed concern over the recent modernization of Cambodian naval bases with Chinese aid during talks with his Cambodian counterpart.
As China continues to expand its territorial ambitions in the East and South China Seas, Kishi urged Thi Van to explain the rationale for modernizing the Ream naval base, ASEAN sources told Kyodo News.
Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi (left) and Cambodian Defense Minister Thi Van (right) meet in Phnom Penh on June 21, 2022. (Kyodo News)
The base is strategically located in the Gulf of Thailand, near the South China Sea, and is a source of geopolitical tension. This is an area where China’s territorial claims overlap with those of some Southeast Asian countries.
In recent years, the United States has become increasingly wary of Cambodia’s demolition of U.S.-funded buildings on bases. Cambodia has also expressed concern about China’s military buildup in the country, a charge that Cambodia denies.
However, Thi Banh told Kishi that the base needs to be modernized so that ships from Japan and other countries can easily berth and repair their ships, and Cambodia needs to modernize its base so that ships from Japan and other countries can easily dock and repair their ships. He said it was necessary to send him overseas, the official said.
Bearing in mind China’s growing assertiveness in the maritime domain, Prime Minister Kishi told the Cambodian side that Japan would not tolerate attempts to unilaterally change the status quo through military force.
The meeting between the two sides took place a day before Cambodia hosted direct talks between Japan’s defense minister and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. According to Japan’s Ministry of Defense, this is the first such meeting since November 2019.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Kishi also expressed concern during the bilateral meeting about Russia’s possible participation in the ASEAN defense ministers’ meeting in November, which will include eight countries including Japan, the United States, and Russia.
Sources said Kishi told T.Van that Japan would reconsider whether to participate if Russia, which invaded Ukraine in late February, was invited to the meeting.
However, sources said that it was too early to express concerns about Russia’s participation and that the situation in Ukraine could change by then.
ASEAN consists of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The plus eight countries also include Australia, China, India, New Zealand and South Korea.