Cambodian army takes delivery of 100 Chinese made military vehicles.

According to a tweet of Jesus Roman posted on October 1, the Cambian Army (RCAF, Royal Cambodian Armed Forces) has received more than 100 military vehicles and other equipment from its Chinese ally on September 20. This delivery follows several other ones in the last years, indicating increasing military cooperation between both countries.
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Dongfeng EQ205s, the Chinese copy of AM General’s Humvee, delivered to the Cambodian army (Picture source: Twitter account of Jesus Roman)

Pictures posted by Jesus Roman show rows and rows of wheeled Chinese-made vehicles delivered at an army barracks located in Kampong Chhnang province. One can identify Dongfeng EQ205s, the Chinese copy of AM General’s Humvee, Dongfeng EQ2102N trucks, 4x4 vehicles with command post or radio shelter, and light NORINCO Syp SH4500AR Lynx 8x8 amphibious all-terrain vehicles.

The NORINCO Lynx design seems to be very similar to the Canadian all-terrain vehicle Argo. It was developed in close cooperation with the Chinese army.The payload capacity is about 600-900 kg. Seating is provided for the driver and 5 passengers. The Lynx is powered by a small turbocharged diesel engine, developing around 30 hp. The vehicle can reach a maximum speed of 45 km/h, with a maximum cruising range of 250 km. Tracks can be fitted over the 8 wheels. A self-recovery winch is mounted at the front of the vehicle. The Lynx is fully amphibious with a payload capacity up to 300 kg propelled in the water by its wheels. This vehicle is very well adapted to several swampy and jungle terrains of Cambodia.

The NORINCO Syp SH4500AR Lynx 8x8 amphibious all-terrain vehicle is very well adapted to several swampy and jungle terrains of Cambodia (Picture source: Twitter account of Jesus Roman)

Dongfeng EQ205 in ambulance variant and Dongfeng EQ2102N trucks (Picture source: Twitter account of Jesus Roman)

According to The Diplomat, speculations about a possible Chinese military presence on Cambodian soil have drawn attention and reactions from neighboring countries and other powers. For instance, in June 2021, Vietnam established a militia squadron in Kien Giang province, which borders 200 kilometers of Cambodia’s coastline. The new unit is tasked with patrolling and reconnaissance, with the presumed aim of collecting information regarding the future Chinese military base at Ream. In late 2021, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman visited several Southeast Asian countries including Cambodia. Besides the disappointment by learning that several US-funded military buildings offered to Cambodia had been destroyed to give room to "other" installations, her main purpose was to address the rumor that China has been granted exclusive access to the naval base. On June 7, Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn had a phone conversation with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong in which the Ream military base was a main topic of discussion.

Last August, according to The Khmer Times, during his four-day visit, Cambodian General Tea Banh and Chinese General Xu Qiliang, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, co-chaired a meeting on military cooperation between the two counties in Guangzhou, the capital of China’s southern Guangdong province. The two sides discussed military cooperation in a number of areas including the resumption of joint military exercises, which were suspended in 2021, according to a source at the Defence ministry. “The two armies will continue to strengthen comprehensive strategic ties to promote practical cooperation in all fields, such as communication mechanisms, joint exercises, human resource training and health strategy to further develop and deepen on building ‘Cambodian-Chinese community with a shared future in this new era,” General Tea Banh was quoted as saying.

Cambodian-Chinese Golden Dragon 2020 exercise in Kampong province, demonstrating the intensification of the military cooperation between both countries (Picture source: Tep Sony/Khmer Times)