Construction of Controversial Chinese-Backed Canal Gets Underway in Cambodia

People attend the ground breaking ceremony of the Funan Techo Canal in Kandal province on August 5, 2024. TANG CHHIN SOTHY / AFP

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet led a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday for the $1.7 billion Funan Techo Canal that will be partially financed through a public-private partnership with the China Road and Bridge Corporation.

When finished, the new 180km canal will connect the Mekong River to the Cambodian coast, removing the need to transport goods through Vietnamese ports.

  • Get a daily email packed with the latest news and analysis from Africa, Asia, and across the Global South.
  • Read exclusive insights on the key trends shaping China’s relations across the Global South.
  • Full access to the News Feed that provides daily updates on Chinese engagement in the Global South.

China, Africa and the Global South... find out what’s happening.

Subscribe today for unlimited access.

OR

Already a subscriber? Log in Click Here to Learn More
by Eric Olander

Most Read

1
Developing Countries’ Debt Servicing Costs to China Are Significant, but Nowhere Near as Much as Other Creditors
2 Chinese Military Fans Discuss Why Indonesia Bought Rafale Instead of J-10C
3 From J-10C to Kaan? Indonesia’s Fighter Jet Deal With Turkey Shocks Chinese Military Fans
4
Indonesia Goes Nuclear, Taps China and Russia for Modular Reactors
5
Chinese Cargo Planes Secretly Ferrying Supplies to Iran, Claim Online Sleuths
6
Thailand in Last-Minute U.S. Talks as 36% Tariff Looms

You Might Like

Cambodia PM Launches Chinese-Backed Canal Linking Mekong River to Sea

By Suy Se Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet on Monday launched a controversial $1.7 billion canal project that aims to provide a new link from the Mekong River to the sea.

Vietnam Moves Forward with Large Railway Project Connecting to China

The Vietnamese government plans to use local resources and Chinese loans to finance a $7.7 billion, 403-kilometer railway project linking it to China. The Lao Cai-Hai Phong railway will connect to Hanoi and China’s ...

Cambodia’s New Chinese-Built Capital Airport Set to Open

Cambodian aviation authorities will conduct a final test flight on Friday at the country’s massive new airport ahead of the official opening on September 9th. It took Chinese contractors five years to ...

Cambodian PM Says Country to Build Canal With China

Prime Minister Hun Manet said Thursday that Cambodia will proceed with controversial plans to build a $1.7 billion canal linking the capital, Phnom Penh, to the sea. The Funan Techo Canal is the ...

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.

More about CGSP