China, whose navy has the world's largest fleet but only one foreign facility to launch ships, is secretly building a new naval base in Cambodia.
What Happened: The Washington Post, citing Western officials, reported that the secretive base that China is building in the land of its Asian neighbor would help extend its military's currently limited reach in foreign waters.
While China and Cambodia refuted all such reports, the publication claims that countries are taking extraordinary measures to conceal the operation.
On the condition of anonymity, because of the matter's sensitivity, officials told the publication that the facility would be on the northern portion of Cambodia's Ream Naval Base on the Gulf of Thailand.
"We assess that the Indo-Pacific is an important piece for China's leaders, who see the Indo-Pacific as China's rightful and historic sphere of influence," one Western official told the publication.
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"They view China's rise there as part of a global trend toward a multipolar world where major powers more forcefully assert their interests in their perceived sphere of influence," the source added.
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Why It Matters: According to the U.S. Defense Department, with more than 350 vessels, China commands the world's largest naval fleet compared to 296 ships and submarines of the U.S. Navy. However, it currently has just one foreign naval base, which is in Djibouti in East Africa.
The Cambodian base capable of hosting large naval vessels would be China's first overseas base in the Indo-Pacific region.
Having a facility to the west of the South China Sea would be an important element for China which is looking to expand its influence in the region. Officials and analysts told the publication that it would further strengthen its presence near key Southeast Asian sea lanes.
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