A US Navy warship arrived in Cambodia on Monday, the first such visit in eight years to a nation that is a close ally of China in Southeast Asia. The Cambodian government suggested the port visit reflected an improvement in often strained relations.

The USS Savannah docked at the port of Sihanoukville in the Gulf of Thailand for a five-day visit. Savannah, classified as a littoral combat ship, carries a crew of 103.

"It's great to be back, bringing the U.S. presence back here after eight years," said the ship's commanding officer, Daniel A. Sledc in brief remarks to reporters. He received a bouquet of flowers from a Cambodian officer and shook hands with a number of her colleagues.

The United States has for many years maintained a volatile relationship with Cambodia, criticizing its government for political repression and human rights abuses. There is particular concern about its close ties to China, which Washington fears could gain exclusive access to a Cambodian naval base in the Gulf of Thailand, not far from where the Savannah is docked.

Recently, there seem to be moves to mend the relationship.

Cambodia's Ministry of National Defense said last week that the visit was timed following a US request for a port visit and would "strengthen and expand ties of friendship as well as promote bilateral cooperation" between the two nations.

Two days earlier, Cambodia's foreign ministry noted the "positive momentum of bilateral ties and cooperation" and the "renewal of military-to-military cooperation" between Cambodia and the US

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin visited Cambodia in early June, where he held talks with Prime Minister Hun Maneh and other senior officials. He also met with Cambodian graduates of US military training programs. Hun Manet himself is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point.

The U.S. Department of Defense said at the time that Austin's discussions covered "opportunities to strengthen the U.S.-Cambodia bilateral defense relationship in support of regional peace and security" and other issues.

But Washington remains concerned that Cambodia's modernization Ream Naval Base near Sihanoukville will serve Beijing's strategic interests in the region.

The US and others have suggested that China's navy is establishing a permanent base in Ream, which would give it easier access to the Strait of Malacca, a critical shipping route between South China Sea and the Indian Ocean.

Controversy over China's activities at Ream first arose in 2019, when The Wall Street Journal reported that an early draft of an agreement seen by US officials would allow China to use the base for 30 years, where it would be able to send military personnel. to store weapons and anchor warships.

The Cambodian government has denied such an agreement or any intention to grant China special privileges at the base, even though Beijing is funding its expansion.

Washington has said the Ream base could give Beijing a key strategic position in the Gulf of Thailand near the disputed South China Sea, which China claims almost entirely.

Chinese warships first docked at the 1,190-foot pier in December last year. Two docked at the port of Sihanoukville in May as part of Beijing's biggest joint military exercises with Cambodia.

China's military unveiled machine gun-equipped robodogs this year at annual joint exercises known as Exercise Golden Dragon.

Cambodia's defense ministry said 27 US Navy ships have visited the nation since 2007, although the USS Savannah's visit was the first docking in eight years.

On Monday, Beijing responded to the US warship's visit to Sihanoukville, saying "such security and defense exchanges and cooperation should contribute to promoting regional peace and stability, not the other way around."

In September, Cambodia's Defense Ministry said China was providing its navy with two warships of a type that had been docked there for months. China is due to hand over two newly built Type 56 corvettes - smaller vessels normally used for coastal patrols - as early as next year after Cambodia requested China's support.

Cambodia's defense ministry said the Savannah port visit would include "a working meeting with the commander of the Ream Naval Base" as well as meetings with provincial officials and "a friendly sports competition between the crews of the US Navy and the Cambodian Navy."

Cambodian Navy Capt. Mian Savoun, deputy commander of Ream Naval Base, was among those on the dock welcoming the Savannah in Sihanoukville. He said he was happy to see the good relations between Cambodia and the US, especially its navy, and believed the visit would lead to closer diplomatic cooperation.

The littoral combat ship USS Savannah (LCS 28) was commissioned in 2022. and is the sixth ship named in honor of the city of Savannah, according to the US Navy.

"The LCS is a fast, flexible, mission-focused platform designed to operate in a near-shore environment while being capable of performing tasks in the open ocean," the Navy said. “The LCS can support forward presence, maritime security, maritime control and deterrence.

Agence France-Presse contributed to this report.