Does China want to establish a military presence in Cambodia?

There are advantages for Phnom Penh as potential host, but it will have to weigh the costs and benefits of allowing the Chinese such a move.

An airport construction site in an area developed by Chinese firm Union Development Group in Koh Kong province, Cambodia, in May 2018. PHOTO: REUTERS

Since last year, US officials have repeatedly expressed concern that two China-funded projects in Cambodia are designed to give the Chinese military a foothold in South-east Asia.

How credible are these allegations and, if true, what might China and Cambodia gain from such an arrangement?

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