Cambodia's leader Hun Manet said Saturday that there was "nothing to hide" as he inaugurated a naval base renovated in recent years by China, after Washington had voiced concern over Beijing's role in the upgrades.
The United States has said the Ream Naval Base, located off Cambodia's southern coast, could give China a key strategic position in the Gulf of Thailand near the disputed South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost in its entirety.
Cambodian senior officials have repeatedly denied that the base is for use by any single foreign power, following U.S. media reports in 2022 saying that the new facilities at Ream were being built for the exclusive use of the Chinese navy.
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