Cambodia purchasing weapons from China to modernise military, says PM Hun Sen

Cambodian officials gave the media unprecedented access to the Ream naval base in a bid to rubbish reports of a deal allowing China to use the facilities. AFP/TANG CHHIN Sothy

"I ordered the purchase of tens of thousands of additional weapons," he said, without explaining what the country had bought. "Now they are being shipped."

"I want to strengthen the army," the prime minister said in a speech broadcast live on Facebook.

PM Hun Sen said US$40 million had been spent this year on top of a total amount of US$290 million in previous arms deals with China.

He was speaking during a trip to the construction site of a Chinese-funded stadium in Phnom Penh that he called a gift from President Xi Jinping.

China has lavished billions of dollars in soft loans, infrastructure and investment on Cambodia.

The Southeast Asia nation's military ties with China have also come under increased scrutiny after concerns expressed by the US and a report - denied by PM Hun Sen - of a secret deal to allow Chinese forces to use a Cambodian naval base.

The Wall Street Journal last week reported on a draft deal letting China access Ream base near Sihanoukville to dock warships and store weapons.

Cambodia took dozens of reporters on an unprecedented tour of the base.

PM Hun Sen repeated the denials in his latest remarks and called the news "slander".

“This is the worst-ever made up news against Cambodia,” Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen told the pro-government news site Fresh News on July 22.

“No such thing could happen because hosting foreign military bases is against the Cambodian constitution.”

Cambodian Defense Ministry Spokesman Chhum Socheat told Reuters the report was “made up and baseless”.

The Ream base under scrutiny is strategically located in the Gulf of Thailand and gives ready access to the East Sea.

The US embassy in Phnom Penh has questioned the possible hosting of foreign military assets there./.

VNF/CNA