15-4-2024 (PHNOM PENH) The United States has urged Cambodia to exercise greater transparency regarding the proposed $1.7 billion Techo Funan Canal project, a China-funded infrastructure initiative that has raised eyebrows among observers who fear it could bolster China’s military presence in the neighbouring nation, potentially posing a security threat to Vietnam and other countries in the region.
Spanning approximately 180 kilometres (111.85 miles) from Phnom Penh to the coastal province of Kep, construction on the ambitious canal project is slated to commence later this year after the state-owned China Bridge and Road Corporation secured the deal during a Belt and Road Initiative summit last October.
“The Cambodian people – along with people in neighbouring countries and the broader region – would benefit from transparency on any major undertaking with potential implications for regional water management, agricultural sustainability, and security,” Wesley Holzer, public diplomacy officer at the US Embassy in Phnom Penh, stated in response to questions from Bloomberg regarding the project.
Former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has maintained that the canal would solely serve economic purposes.
Touted as Cambodia’s first inland river dredging project, the Techo Funan Canal is expected to take around four years to complete and will boast a total length just 10 miles shorter than the Suez Canal. However, like many infrastructure projects, it could potentially be used for military purposes, raising concerns from neighbouring Vietnam, among others.
Apprehensions surround the possibility that the project could facilitate the transport of military ships from the Gulf of Thailand, where Washington believes China is building its first overseas base in the Indo-Pacific region. Additionally, there are concerns about the canal’s environmental impact, including the potential diversion of water away from the Mekong river.
“We urge authorities to coordinate closely with the Mekong River Commission to provide additional project details and to participate fully in any appropriate environmental impact studies to help the MRC and member countries fully understand, assess, and prepare for any possible impacts of the project,” Holzer emphasised.
Vietnam has also voiced environmental concerns and stated that it “requests Cambodian side to coordinate closely with Vietnam and other countries in sharing information and assessing the impact of this project” on water resources and the environment, as per Doan Khac Viet, deputy spokesperson of Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during a press briefing on Thursday.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The project comes as Prime Minister Hun Manet has deepened Cambodia’s already close ties with Beijing since taking the reins from his father less than a year ago. Cambodia’s relationship with the US, however, remains strained, with considerable tension over issues such as human rights, press freedom, and the suppression of political opposition.
Washington has repeatedly expressed concern over what it perceives as the growing influence of China’s military in the country, including the Beijing-supported redevelopment of the Ream Naval Base, a matter raised by US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink during a visit earlier this year.
Military experts have warned that the canal “will create the necessary depth, enough for military ships to travel from the Gulf of Thailand, or from the Ream base, deep into the interior,” according to a publication on the website of Vietnam’s state-controlled People’s Public Security Political Academy last month, citing external research. “The Funan Techo Canal is not simply a socio-economic development project but also has great military value and has a strong impact on the defence and security situation of the entire region.”
Meanwhile, Hun Sen, who is now president of Cambodia’s senate, dismissed unspecified “slanderous reports about the presence of Chinese troops at the Ream” from “non-friends” on Tuesday, stating that they are now twisting the real use of the canal.
Following a series of slanderous reports about the presence of Chinese troops at the Ream naval base, they now fabricate the story of the Techo Funan Canal, which falsely mentions that the canal will further facilitate the Chinese navy near the Vietnamese border even when the… pic.twitter.com/XwDb8uV3KQ
— Hun Sen (@hunsencambodia) April 9, 2024
“Why would Cambodia bring Chinese troops into its country, which violates the constitution? And why would China bring its troops to Cambodia, which is contrary to the principle of respect for Cambodia’s independence?” he wrote in a post on X. “This vital infrastructure facilitates agricultural activities by providing water for crop cultivation, is good for water management during the rainy season, and increases freshwater fish production, among other benefits.”
