11-4-2024 (PHNOM PENH) Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet affirmed on Thursday (Apr 11) that the country will continue with its contentious plans to construct a US$1.7 billion canal, linking its capital, Phnom Penh, to the sea.
The Funan Techo canal, backed by Chinese investment, marks the latest addition to Cambodia’s infrastructure projects, bolstering its ties with Beijing under the former leadership of Hun Sen.
The proposed canal has triggered apprehensions from scholars in neighbouring Vietnam, who fear it could facilitate the passage of Chinese warships near the Vietnamese coastline.
However, Hun Manet addressed these concerns during a speech in Takeo province, where the planned 180km waterway would traverse, terminating in the coastal province of Kep.
“The canal is a historic project that will provide benefits to our people,” he asserted.
Cambodian authorities have outlined that construction of the canal is scheduled to commence later this year, with funding from China, although specific details remain scarce.
The canal, spanning 100m in width and 5.4m in depth, is designed to link Phnom Penh with Cambodian ports on the Gulf of Thailand, bypassing Vietnam’s traditional maritime route.
Dismissing media reports referring to two researchers from a Vietnamese state-backed institute, who suggested the canal could enable Chinese warships to approach the Vietnamese border, Hun Manet stated firmly, “We will not allow (any country) to use our country as a base against another country, let alone a military base.”
He further clarified that the canal would be too shallow for a warship, emphasizing its intended economic benefits for millions.
Hun Manet also assured that the canal’s construction, expected to begin from the Bassac river – a tributary of the Mekong – would not disrupt the mainstream Mekong’s water flow, crucial for sustaining regional fisheries and livelihoods.
His father, Hun Sen, who governed Cambodia for over three decades and now serves as the Senate president, echoed these sentiments, dismissing critical reports earlier this week.
The canal project has drawn international attention since December, when two Chinese warships made a landmark visit to a Cambodian naval base, stirring concerns in Washington about Beijing’s expanding influence in the Gulf of Thailand.
Despite assurances from Cambodian officials that the base near Sihanoukville is not intended for use by any foreign power, China has initiated funding for its refurbishment after Cambodia dismantled facilities at the site, which previously hosted US military exercises.
Last year, Cambodian authorities refuted claims that a new 363m pier at Ream was meant to accommodate aircraft carriers.
