The statement was made at a press conference given by the official spokesman for the 40th and 41st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summits and related meetings, Kong Phok, and amplified on Sunday in the national media.

According to the White House, President Joe Biden expressed to Prime Minister Hun Sen in their meeting yesterday in Phnom Penh concern about the Ream naval base and noted the importance of full transparency about Chinese military activities at the facility.

Responding the day before about the presence of Chinese troops at the Ream Naval Base, Phok remarked that Cambodia “has already provided many answers to the allegations and doubts surrounding this issue.”

He stressed that the country even allowed the US Joint Chiefs of Staff and representatives of the Australian Embassy here to visit the facility, which are expressions of honesty and transparency to foreign friends, as well as international partners, to clear doubts, Phok said.

We are not afraid to do this, so we expect our partners to tell the truth, the spokesman said, insisting that Cambodia only wants fairness and honesty in return.

In statements made months ago, Cambodia’s Defense Minister Tea Banh assured that no foreign military base would be allowed in the nation because it is against its Constitution.

He warned, however, that the Kingdom can receive any kind of military assistance from any country, including China, to further enhance its self-defense capabilities.

mem/mpm