Chinese navy ships make a friendship visit to Cambodia as concerns over military links linger

SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia (AP) — Two Chinese warships arrived Friday on what China called a friendship and training visit to Cambodia, Beijing’s closest ally in Southeast Asia, at a time of some diplomatic disquiet.

The visit comes as China is trying to maintain a delicate balance in its relations with Cambodia and neighboring Thailand, with which it is also friendly.

The two Southeast Asian nations in late July were in armed conflict for five days over competing claims to border territory, and Beijing’s supplying weaponry to Cambodia has caused irritation in Thailand. The border dispute has not been resolved and tensions remain high.

Sam Sokha, a spokesperson for the Cambodian navy, said Wednesday the main goal of the visit is to strengthen cooperation and that the warships were not intended to show support for Cambodia in the border dispute.

The amphibious warfare ship Yimeng Shan and the training ship Qijiguang sailed into Sihanoukville’s civilian port on the Gulf of Thailand and are due to leave next Tuesday, after which they are scheduled to make similar visits to Thailand and Singapore.

In what may be a gesture to easing political concerns, the ships docked at the commercial port rather than the nearby Ream Naval Base, which some Western military analysts fear is a de facto Chinese base.

China funded a broad expansion project of the naval base, hardening the suspicions of the U.S. government that Beijing has secretly been granted exclusive privileges to use it, a claim repeatedly denied by Cambodian officials.

China over the past decades has vastly increased its naval fleet and operations. The gulf is adjacent to the South China Sea, which China claims virtually in its entirety, and expedites access to the Malacca Strait, one of the most important shipping lanes in the world.

Rear Adm. In Sokhemra, deputy chief of the Ream Naval Base, welcomed the visitors. “Every year foreign ships often come to Sihanoukville in Cambodia to conduct cooperative exercises and to strengthen friendship and solidarity, whether from China, the Philippines, Australia or the United States,” he told journalists.

Visibly illustrating his point, the port on Friday also welcomed a visit by the Australian Navy's frigate HMAS Ballarat, which will depart on Monday after docking about 500 meters (yards) away from the Chinese ships.

The Ballarat is on what the Australian Defence Force calls a “Regional Presence Deployment," which in addition to port visits includes participation in ”exercises and cooperative activities with partner nations, demonstrating Australia’s commitment to a secure, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region."

During its voyage so far, it has conducted a bilateral exercise with Brunei, and a multilateral one with Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom, as well as training in the South China Sea with U.S. Navy vessels.

Without specifically mentioning the visit of the Chinese ships, China's Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wenbin posted on his Facebook page late Wednesday that China is determined to help protect Cambodia’s sovereignty and will always be a reliable partner in the country’s development.

“China firmly supports Cambodia in safeguarding its national sovereignty, security and development interests, and will always be a reliable partner in Cambodia’s development,” the post said.

A large group of ethnic Chinese civilians were among the welcoming crowd. Sihanoukville is a center for Chinese investment, but also for Chinese-run criminal activities, most notably scam centers which perpetrate large-scale online fraud and are often staffed by foreigners who have been tricked into working there and are held captive.

Members of the crowd raised Chinese flags and Chinese-language placards to welcome the ships, and a traditional Chinese dragon dance was performed as the captain of one of the ships disembarked.

Cambodian naval officials, right, stand as Chinese warship Qijiguang arrives at a commercial port in Sihanoukville, southern Cambodia, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

Local students wave flags as Chinese warship Qijiguang arrives at a commercial port in Sihanoukville, southern Cambodia, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

Chinese naval officials on their warship Qijiguang wave on the arrival at a commercial port in Sihanoukville, southern Cambodia, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

Local students gather as Chinese warship Qijiguang arrives at a commercial port in Sihanoukville, southern Cambodia, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

Chinese businessmen and local students gather as Chinese warship Qijiguang arrives at a commercial port in Sihanoukville, southern Cambodia, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

NEW YORK (AP) — Bo Bichette and the New York Mets agreed Friday to a $126 million, three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal was subject to a successful physical and had not been announced.

A two-time All-Star at shortstop with the Toronto Blue Jays, Bichette will move to third base with the Mets, who have Francisco Lindor at shortstop. Bichette has never played a professional game at the hot corner.

Bichette can opt out of the deal after the first or second season to become a free agent again. He would receive $47 million for one year and $89 million for two years, the person said.

The deal does not contain any deferred money and Bichette gets a full no-trade provision. His $42 million average annual value ties for the sixth-highest in baseball history.

It was the latest big development in an eventful offseason for the Mets, who angered fans by letting popular slugger Pete Alonso and star closer Edwin Díaz leave in free agency. President of baseball operations David Stearns also traded two other stalwarts in outfielder Brandon Nimmo and versatile veteran Jeff McNeil — both homegrown players.

New York signed closer Devin Williams to a $51 million, three-year contract, infielder Jorge Polanco to a $40 million, two-year deal and reliever Luke Weaver to a $22 million, two-year agreement.

Although he lacks Alonso's prodigious power, Bichette is a proven hitter with lightning-fast hands and a penchant for line-drive doubles. He would give the Mets a dangerous right-handed bat to help complement lefty slugger Juan Soto.

Because of his inexperience at third, however, Bichette becomes the latest question mark in the field for New York even though Stearns has insisted the team must improve its defense and is determined to do so.

Polanco has one pitch of major league experience at first base, where he and Mark Vientos, previously a third baseman, are the leading candidates to replace Alonso.

New York had planned to start Brett Baty at third, where he provides a strong glove. Baty, who also has experience at second base, is viewed as a versatile defender who could see time in the outfield and perhaps at first.

Or, the Mets could look to trade Baty for pitching or outfield help. Gold Glove winner Marcus Semien is set to play second after arriving from Texas in a November trade for Nimmo.

Bichette batted .311 with 18 home runs, 94 RBIs and an .840 OPS in 139 games for the Blue Jays last year. He homered off Shohei Ohtani in Game 7 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Late last season, Bichette sprained his left knee in a Sept. 6 collision with New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells, keeping the infielder out of the lineup until the World Series. He returned for Game 1 against the Dodgers and played second base for the first time in six years.

Bichette led the American League in hits in 2021 and 2022. He finished second in the major leagues in batting average last season to Yankees slugger Aaron Judge.

Bichette turned down a $22,025,000 qualifying offer from the Blue Jays in November, so they would receive an extra draft pick in July after the fourth round if he completes his deal with the Mets.

New York would forfeit its second- and fifth-highest draft picks, along with $1 million in 2027 international signing bonus pool allocation.

Bichette was one of the last remaining big-name hitters on the free agent market after outfielder Kyle Tucker spurned the Mets and agreed Thursday to a $240 million, four-year contract with the Dodgers.

Bichette, who turns 28 in March, has spent his entire career with the Blue Jays since they selected him in the second round of the 2016 amateur draft. He is a .294 career hitter with 111 home runs and an .806 OPS in 748 major league games.

He is a son of former big league slugger Dante Bichette, a four-time All-Star outfielder.

AP Baseball Writers Ronald Blum and David Brandt and AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston contributed to this report.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb

FILE - Toronto Blue Jays' Bo Bichette celebrates his three run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning in Game 7 of baseball's World Series, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, in Toronto. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)

FILE - New York Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns responds to questions during a news conference about MLB trade deadline deals, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith, File)