‘Ironclad brothers’: what China wants from its role in Cambodia’s biggest naval base

Analysis: reports the Chinese military will get exclusive use of part of Ream base have been denied, but experts say nature of the arrangement remains unclear

At a ceremony this week, Cambodian and Chinese officials proclaimed their friendship as they announced a new construction project. Holding spades decorated with red bows, they turned over soil to signal the start of building work at Cambodia's biggest naval base, Ream. It will be expanded and renovated, thanks to a Chinese grant of an undisclosed sum - a development that has alarmed the US.

China and Cambodia have become ironclad brothers," said China's ambassador to Cambodia, Wang Wentian, at the ceremony.