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China-Linked Mines in Myanmar Blamed for Toxic Pollution Flowing Into Thailand

By Chayanit Itthipongmaetee and Sally Jensen A sprawling new mine is gouged into the lush rolling hills of northeast Myanmar, where civil war has weakened the government's already feeble writ, and pollution levels are rising downstream in Thailand. ...

China Dismisses Reports It’s Withdrawing from Controversial Canal Project in Cambodia

The Chinese embassy in Cambodia dismissed reports that Beijing is withdrawing from a controversial canal project in the Mekong River as “complete nonsense.” The groundbreaking ceremony for the $1.7 billion 180km Funan Techo canal project was held in August, but since ...

Mounting Concerns in Cambodia Chinese Funding for Controversial Canal May Fall Through

When construction of Cambodia's $1.7 billion Funan Techo canal got underway in August, Prime Minister Hun Manet confidently assured everyone that Chinese funding for the project would come through. Now, though, there are mounting concerns the Prime Minister's assurances may have been ...

South China Sea Tensions Likely to be High on the Agenda During Malaysia, Vietnamese PMs Visits to Beijing This Week

Two Southeast Asian prime ministers, Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia and Vietnam's Phạm Minh Chính, will both be in China this week on separate trips where discussions over territorial claims in the South China Sea will likely be very high on the agenda. ...

Construction of Controversial Chinese-Backed Canal Gets Underway in Cambodia

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 ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

BRICS Announces Numerous New Initiatives

The BRICS group wrapped up its two-day leaders’ summit in Rio de Janeiro on Monday. The summit’s final communique is a 16,000-word doorstop that covers numerous issues from economics to education.
The communique avoids any direct mention of the United States, and references to “unilateralism” and other coded criticism are also relatively scarce. Rather, the communique keeps the focus on the BRICS’ vision of the strengthening and reform of the global multilateral system ...

China, Thailand Flock to Laos’ Rivers for Electricity

Pak Beng is a small, sleepy town north of Laos. Little happens in this town except when the slow boat emerges on the Mekong River pier at six in the evening. When that happens, shops, bars, and restaurants near the pier come alive to greet arriving tourists. ...

Why a Chinese-Backed Canal Project in Cambodia is Making Vietnam Very Nervous

Former Cambodian strongman Hun Sen was in Beijing last week lobbying the Chinese government to move forward with the $1.7 billion Funan Techo Canal project which his son, President Hun Manet, has made the centerpiece of his new administration.

Q&A: How Cambodia’s Chinese-backed Funan Techo Canal Risks Destabilizing the Lower Mekong Delta

In May 2023, the former prime minister of Cambodia – Hun Sen – led a cabinet meeting that gave the green light to the “Funan Techo Canal”, the first waterway system in Cambodia, which will connect Phnom Penh Autonomous Port to Kep Province of Cambodia.

5 Most Important China Stories of 2023 in Southeast Asia’s Climate Landscape

With the overwhelming war in Gaza and the return of rising COVID-19 cases around the world, as we end the year, it’s easy to lose track of other defining events in the past twelve months.  From China’s river diplomacy in Mekong ...

“The Mekong is Dying”: How China’s River Diplomacy Neglects Locals, Exacerbates Climate Change

The rainy season would usually start in May, but this was late June and it was still not raining much. Niwat Roykaew, who grew up on the bank of the Mekong River in Thailand’s northern Chiang Rai province, noticed.  Born and ...