(Deepshikha Gautam, Intern Journalist) China: China, which is trying to spread military bases all over the world, has now come up for discussion on building air and seaports in the Dara Sakor region in Cambodia as well. It will serve as a military base in Port Cambodia. Although Cambodia has denied this, it is believed that an agreement has been reached between China and Cambodia on this matter. Under the agreement, the Chinese military will be able to use Cambodia’s maritime base for the next 40 years. Under this agreement, there is also a plan to lease the airstrip of Dara Sakor.
The US Ministry of Defense has expressed its objection and apprehension over this agreement. According to a report, the Chinese company Tianjin leased Dara Sakor for 99 years by investing $ 3.8 billion. It covers 20 percent of Cambodia’s coastal region. The Chinese company Tianjin Union Development Group has built the airstrip in the National Park of Dara Sakor and the port at the nearby resort. Experts believe that this project is another action on China’s expansionist attitude.
The airstrip of Dara Sakor will be Cambodia’s largest runway and if China uses it as a military base, then it will become the strongest against countries claiming the South China Sea. Here China claims about 80 percent of its share, while these seas bordering 6 countries and all countries claim a small part of it. China is investing heavily in Cambodia as a debt-taking strategy. China invested $ 5.8 billion there in 2017 and is looking to increase this investment to $ 10 billion by 2023.
Seeing this condition, other countries are alleging that Cambodia has now surrendered financially to China. Cambodia’s government has denied that China is being given basic privileges at its naval bases. He said that China would only improve the planned infrastructure. Let us know that in 2019, Prime Minister of Cambodia Hun Sen denied any such agreement with China.
He said that the decision to take the loan was his own and he did not face any threat from China.
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