Cambodia is stepping up defence ties with India, in a move seen by analysts as a calibrated effort to reduce reliance on China amid growing concern over Beijing’s strategic expansion at the China-funded Ream Naval Base.
During a meeting last week in Phnom Penh, Cambodian Defence Minister General Tea Seiha and Indian Ambassador Vanlalvawna Bawitlung pledged closer security cooperation. India plans to appoint a defence attaché and open a defence office in Cambodia, expanding on joint training programs and last year’s Cinbax-I bilateral military exercise.
India Expands Presence Amid Maritime Concerns
India’s naval presence in Cambodia has grown in recent months. In February, the Indian Navy’s First Squadron docked at Sihanoukville Port. The previous month, the INS Surat, a stealth guided missile destroyer, arrived in Cambodian waters as part of India’s strategic engagement in the region.
“Any Chinese naval movement into the Indian Ocean must pass through Southeast Asia,” said Abdul Rahman Yaacob, a fellow at the Lowy Institute. “India sees its engagement in Cambodia as critical to balancing China’s maritime influence.”
Cambodia, long considered a close Chinese ally, inaugurated the expanded Ream Naval Base on Saturday. The upgrade includes a 650-meter pier capable of accommodating large warships, such as aircraft carriers—though Cambodia lacks such vessels. U.S. officials and regional analysts suspect the facility could serve as a Chinese outpost, a claim both Beijing and Phnom Penh deny.
Rahman said Cambodia’s historical experiences, including the Vietnamese military occupation that ended in 1989, make foreign military bases politically sensitive. “There is strong domestic sentiment that no foreign power should be allowed a permanent military presence,” he added.
Beijing Builds, Delhi Trains
While China focuses on infrastructure and hardware, India is offering Cambodia access to defence technology and training—an approach that resonates with Cambodia’s younger military leadership.
“India provides a less contentious, more balanced alternative,” said Dr. Chanrith Ngin, honorary academic at the University of Auckland. “Southeast Asia is likely to view India’s presence as more reassuring, especially in light of tensions in the South China Sea.”
India has already built defence relationships with Vietnam and the Philippines, and regularly holds military exercises with Malaysia and Singapore. Analysts view Cambodia as a natural extension of India’s Southeast Asia outreach.
Last year’s Cinbax-I exercise allowed India to showcase cutting-edge equipment, including SIG 716 rifles and light machine guns from Indian manufacturers such as MKU, Jatayu, and Ikran Aerospace.
“India is focusing on capability-building, while China is cementing physical infrastructure,” Ngin said. “Both strategies are clear—but Cambodia seems to want space to maneuver between them.”
Strategic Hedging in a Shifting Indo-Pacific
This week, Cambodia and China launched the Golden Dragon-2025 military exercise—the sixth such joint drill, and the first to be held at Ream’s new logistics and training centre. Chinese warships conducted maritime drills and coordination maneuvers, signaling the depth of military ties.
Still, analysts believe Cambodia is not abandoning China, but hedging—seeking a broader set of defence partners to avoid overdependence. “This will not be taken lightly by Beijing, but Cambodia is exercising its strategic agency,” Ngin added.
Abhishek Sharma, a researcher at the Observer Research Foundation, said India remains concerned about China’s opaque investments in dual-use maritime infrastructure across Southeast Asia.
Cambodia-India defence cooperation has evolved from legacy demining efforts and peacekeeping training to more advanced areas like counter-IED strategies and joint military exercises.
“This is a significant elevation in military-to-military relations,” Sharma said. “Cambodia is now seeing India not just as a regional partner, but as a viable strategic counterweight to China.”
