The Facts
China has been accused of building a naval facility on the northern portion of Cambodia's Ream Naval Base, expanding its military presence in Southeast Asia.
On Wed., a ceremony gathering thousands of representatives from both countries broke ground on the renovation of the port. Officials denied claims that it would be used by the Chinese military.
The Spin
Pro-China narrative
This is a regular infrastructure cooperation project that will promote peace, prosperity, and stability in Southeast Asia. Despite Cambodia's constitution forbiding the establishment of foreign military presence on its soil, Chinese actions are still misreported to reinforce the false "China Threat" narrative and justify the aggressiveness of the West.
Anti-China narrative
Beijing is moving fast to build a global network of bases to support its naval expansion as it seeks to expand its economic, political and military influence around the world. China lied before when it vowed not to militarize artificial islands in the South China Sea, and its denials about establishing a base in Cambodia can't be trusted either.
