On Friday, October 10, 2025, two Chinese warships—the amphibious warfare ship Yimeng Shan and the training ship Qijiguang—sailed into Sihanoukville’s civilian port on Cambodia’s Gulf of Thailand coast. Ostensibly, the visit was billed by Beijing as a friendship and training mission, but the timing and context have drawn significant regional and international scrutiny. The arrival comes at a moment of heightened diplomatic tension in Southeast Asia, as China seeks to walk a fine line between its close ally Cambodia and neighboring Thailand, both of whom recently clashed militarily.
According to the Associated Press, the Chinese ships are scheduled to remain in Sihanoukville until Tuesday, October 14, 2025, after which they will continue on to Thailand and Singapore for similar visits. The stated purpose, as explained by Cambodian navy spokesperson Sam Sokha, is to "strengthen cooperation," and not, as some have speculated, to signal overt support for Cambodia in its ongoing border dispute with Thailand. "The warships were not intended to show support for Cambodia in the border dispute," Sokha emphasized, seeking to quell suspicions that the deployment might be a show of force.
This diplomatic choreography is playing out against the backdrop of a five-day armed conflict in late July 2025 between Cambodia and Thailand over contested border territory. The dispute remains unresolved, and tensions are still running high. As noted by The Los Angeles Times, Beijing’s supply of weaponry to Cambodia has further irritated Thailand, complicating China’s efforts to maintain strong relations with both countries. The region has become a delicate chessboard, with each move watched closely by neighboring states and global powers alike.
One notable detail of the Chinese visit is the choice of docking location. The ships anchored at Sihanoukville’s commercial port rather than the nearby Ream Naval Base. This decision, according to AP and The Los Angeles Times, may have been a deliberate gesture to ease political concerns. Western military analysts have long speculated that Ream Naval Base, which has undergone a broad expansion funded by China, could function as a de facto Chinese naval outpost. The U.S. government has voiced suspicions that Beijing has been granted exclusive privileges at the base—an allegation repeatedly denied by Cambodian officials.
Rear Admiral In Sokhemra, deputy chief of the Ream Naval Base, welcomed the Chinese visitors and sought to frame the event as routine. "Every year foreign ships often come to Sihanoukville in Cambodia to conduct cooperative exercises and to strengthen friendship and solidarity, whether from China, the Philippines, Australia or the United States," he told journalists. The atmosphere at the port on Friday seemed to support his point. The Australian Navy’s frigate HMAS Ballarat was also in port, docked about 500 yards from the Chinese vessels. The Ballarat, on what the Australian Defence Force calls a "Regional Presence Deployment," was scheduled to depart on Monday, October 13, 2025. Its mission includes not just port visits, but also joint exercises and cooperative activities with partner nations—demonstrating Australia’s commitment to a secure, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. The Ballarat has already conducted bilateral and multilateral exercises with Brunei, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States Navy during its voyage.
China’s Ambassador to Cambodia, Wang Wenbin, weighed in on the visit with a statement posted to Facebook on Wednesday, October 8, 2025. Without mentioning the Chinese warships directly, he affirmed, "China firmly supports Cambodia in safeguarding its national sovereignty, security and development interests, and will always be a reliable partner in Cambodia’s development." This message, according to AP, was meant to reinforce the theme of partnership and support between the two nations, even as it sidestepped the more contentious aspects of the visit.
The scene at Sihanoukville’s port was festive, at least on the surface. A large group of ethnic Chinese civilians gathered to welcome the warships, waving Chinese flags and holding placards in Chinese. A traditional dragon dance was performed as the captain of one of the ships disembarked, underscoring the deep cultural and economic ties between China and Cambodia. Sihanoukville itself has become a hub for Chinese investment in recent years, with new hotels, casinos, and real estate projects transforming the city’s skyline. However, as reported by The Los Angeles Times, the city has also gained notoriety for Chinese-run scam centers—criminal enterprises that perpetrate large-scale online fraud, often staffed by foreigners who have been tricked into working there and are then held captive.
The broader strategic context of the visit cannot be ignored. Over the past several decades, China has vastly expanded its naval fleet and operational reach. The Gulf of Thailand, where Sihanoukville sits, is adjacent to the South China Sea—a region claimed almost entirely by China and a persistent flashpoint for maritime disputes with other Southeast Asian nations. The gulf also provides expedited access to the Malacca Strait, one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes. As AP and The Los Angeles Times note, these waters are not just strategic for military reasons but are vital arteries for global commerce.
For Thailand, the Chinese visit to Cambodia is a source of unease. The unresolved border dispute with Cambodia, coupled with Beijing’s evident willingness to supply arms to Phnom Penh, has left Thai officials wary. According to AP, China’s attempts to maintain strong relations with both countries are being tested as old rivalries flare up and new alignments take shape. The presence of the Australian warship in Sihanoukville at the same time as the Chinese vessels further illustrates the region’s complicated security dynamics, as outside powers seek to reassure allies and demonstrate their own commitment to stability.
For Cambodia, the visit is an opportunity to showcase its close ties with China while projecting an image of openness and balance. By hosting not only Chinese but also Australian naval forces, and by docking the Chinese ships at a civilian rather than military port, Cambodia appears eager to dispel the notion that it is exclusively in Beijing’s orbit. Cambodian officials have repeatedly denied that China has been granted special privileges at Ream Naval Base, and the public festivities in Sihanoukville were as much about optics as they were about substance.
As the Chinese warships prepare to depart for their next stops in Thailand and Singapore, the diplomatic waters remain choppy. The unresolved border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand, China’s expanding naval capabilities, and the competing interests of regional and global powers all contribute to a complex and shifting landscape. Whether the visit ultimately strengthens regional cooperation or deepens suspicion remains to be seen, but for now, all eyes are on the Gulf of Thailand—and on what comes next.