The U.S.-China conflict has become more intense in the Indo-Pacific region in recent years. While China is aggressively expanding its maritime activities, the United States is increasingly involved in the region in the name of freedom of navigation. Cambodia's Ream Naval Base is now emerging as one of the front lines of the conflict, as there is concern that it will be used by China for military purposes.
The naval base faces the Gulf of Thailand and is surrounded by mangroves. Newly built prefab huts stand around the dock at the base and men who appeared to be workers were seen moving around in the area. In late June, cranes were dredging sand near the dock, apparently aiming to make the water deep enough for large ships to enter a port.
