Summary and Key Points: On January 24, Littoral Combat Ship USS Cincinnati (LCS-20) made a port call at Ream Naval Base, the first U.S. visit since China-funded expansion work reshaped the facility.
-The ship reportedly berthed roughly 150 meters from a Chinese vessel, underscoring the stop’s message: the base is “open” and not exclusively a Chinese outpost.
Littoral Combat Ship USS Cooperstown. Image Credit: 19FortyFive.com
Littoral Combat Ship Deck Gun U.S. Navy. Image Credit: 19FortyFive.com
The Independence-Variant littoral combat ship USS Pierre (LCS 38) prepares to moor pier side during its arrival to its homeport of San Diego for the first time, Dec. 5, 2025. Pierre, the second U.S. Navy ship to bear this name, commissioned in Panama City, Fla. Nov. 15 as the final independence-variant LCS. Littoral combat ships are fast, optimally-manned, mission-tailored surface combatants that operate in near-shore and open-ocean environments, winning against 21st-century coastal threats.
-The visit also extends a broader effort to repair ties with Cambodia after years of cooling relations, building on earlier senior-level engagement and a recent U.S. port call at Sihanoukville.
-The strategic backdrop remains the South China Sea and questions about Beijing’s long-term access.
U.S.–Cambodia Defense Ties Warm Up Again as Ream Hosts American and Chinese Ships Side by Side
On January 24, the U.S. Independence-class littoral combat ship USS Cincinnati (LCS-20) docked at Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base. The Cincinnati is the first U.S. vessel to visit the base since China completed major expansions there.
This visit to a Chinese-funded facility was designed to strengthen U.S.-Cambodian relations and demonstrate the base’s purported openness to all nations.The Cincinnati docked just 150 meters away from a Chinese warship already at the base.
The South China Morning Post reported that the U.S. visit would calm fears about a Chinese “intelligence outpost” at the port.
Two Chinese navy corvettes gifted to Cambodia have been stationed at the base since December 2023, according to the CSIS-sponsored Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative.
The US Is Trying To Warm Relations With Cambodia
“The USS Cincinnati’s visit to Cambodia celebrates the continued collaboration between the United States and Cambodia, reaffirming our shared commitment to regional security, peace, and prosperity,” the Navy said in a released statement.
NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO — The Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Jackson (LCS 6) returns to its San Diego homeport, Oct. 6, 2023. Littoral Combat Ships are fast, optimally-manned, mission-tailored surface combatants that operate in near-shore and open-ocean environments, winning against 21st-century coastal threats. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Vance Hand)
US Navy Littoral Combat Ship. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
170623-N-PD309-122 BOHOL SEA (June 23, 2017) Littoral combat ship USS Coronado (LCS 4) transits the Bohol Sea during an exercise with the Philippine Navy for Maritime Training Activity (MTA) Sama Sama 2017. MTA Sama Sama is a bilateral maritime exercise between U.S. and Philippine naval forces and is designed to strengthen cooperation and interoperability between the nations’ armed forces. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Deven Leigh Ellis/Released)
“We are always excited to work alongside our partners and continue to build a free and open Indo-Pacific for all nations,” Captain Matt Scarlett said in the statement.
During its port stay, the crew will conduct guided tours of ships, and meet with experts and meet senior Cambodian leaders. The aim is to maintain collaboration and reaffirm a shared commitment to peace, thereby expanding maritime cooperation between the two navies.
However, this is also a diplomatic move that challenges China’s exclusive influence at the facility. It highlights Cambodia’s limited attempts at strategic balancing amid fears that the base is a permanent Chinese military foothold in Southeast Asia.
The visit is part of a broader effort to rebuild strained U.S.–Cambodia defense relations. According to a Cambodian Navy statement, about 37 U.S. warships visited Cambodian ports between 2003 and 2026,=.
Relations between the two nations have cooled in recent years. But the first turnaround came in 2024, when then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet in Cambodia to discuss regional security cooperation. As a result of that meeting, the USS Savannah (LCS-28) made a port call at the civilian port of Sihanoukville, the first visit of a U.S. warship in more than eight years.
China’s Second Military Base, A Joint Logistics And Training Center
Ream Naval Base is a “joint logistics and training center,” maintained by the Chinese and Cambodian militaries. Renovations were completed last April, and Phnom Penh has stressed that the base is fully under its sovereignty and control.
But the Chinese military footprint in Cambodia helps Beijing project and sustain its power in the South China Sea, where countries have overlapping sovereignty claims that have often led to clashes between maritime forces. Meanwhile, the U.S. has maintained its military presence in the disputed waters to assert freedom of navigation.
The port renovations since 2019, along with reports of a potential 30-year agreement for Chinese military use of this site on the Gulf of Thailand, have made the U.S. and its allies uneasy.
Although Beijing funded the base’s expansion, the Cambodian government has denied any agreement granting exclusive Chinese privileges, stating that the port facilities are open to all nations participating in joint training.
Seventh Fleet Maintaining Presence in the South China Sea
Visits by the Littoral Combat Ship Cincinnati and the Savannah are part of a vital, sustained U.S. effort to maintain a presence with its regional partners in Southeast Asia.
The USS Cincinnati operates under the Seventh Fleet, the Navy’s largest deployed force. Its primary task is to conduct routine operations to defend freedom of navigation, ensuring free and safe passage along major maritime lines of communication.
Littoral Combat Ship. Image Credit: US Navy.
(Aug. 19, 2015) The littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) assembles in formation with ships from the Royal Malaysian Navy as part of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Malaysia 2015. CARAT is an annual, bilateral exercise series with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and the armed forces of nine partner nations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joe Bishop/Released)
LCSs are designed to operate close to shore, serving as “a fast, agile, focused-mission platform” in shallower waters, according to the Navy. These ships come in two variants: the Freedom and the Independence.
The Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral Samuel Paparo met with Cambodian leaders to emphasize a “free and open Indo-Pacific” and continued partnership.
The United States aims to achieve a strategic balance with this visit. While Cambodia’s “deep ties” with China are intact, allowing the U.S. visit demonstrates Cambodia’s “exercise of strategic autonomy” to avoid being seen as a complete client state.
Despite the U.S. visit, reports indicate that a strong Chinese military footprint remains at the location, with Chinese ships having been the first to dock there in 2023.
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
