Chinese dictator XI Jinping conducted a “charm attack” this week, visiting Malaysia, Vietnam and Cambodia to strengthen its economic alliance amid China’s trade war with the United States.
Xi told Cambodians to “resist protectionism.” The Cambodian told XI to give money, not advice.
“We look forward to more cooperation, including infrastructure development,” said Meas Soksensan, a spokesman for the Cambodian Ministry of Finance, prior to XI’s arrival. It appears that the Cambodians, as Chinese officials, have got what they wanted. signature A billion-dollar deal in Phnom Penh on Thursday.
Soksensan especially mentioned Funan Techo Canal Projectit was an ambitious job that has not made much progress at this point, and it could have been a very bad idea to begin with.
The 110-mile canal aims to connect the Mekong River, near the Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, to the Gulf of Thailand. The goal is to reduce Cambodia’s dependence on Vietnamese ports for shipping.
The canal became a symbol of Cambodia’s pride and became deeper as the Western world brought it. Principality against Cambodia for human rights violations, including forced labour and human trafficking.
That was the groundbreaking ceremony at Funan Techo Canal. timing It coincided with the birthday of former Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Sen, and turned the event into a nationalist holiday and a celebration of the regime. Hun Sen ruled Cambodia for 38 years and led the canal contract to completion with China before handing over the reins to his son Hun Mane in 2023.
All media outlets in Cambodia were Forced Air every moment of the groundbreaking ceremony in August 2024 and write a breathtaking editorial about the greatness of the project. Hunsen threatened legal action against media organizations that failed to use the canal’s full name when discussing it. It is the word “Techo,” an honor to indicate the strength of the fight Hansen uses on himself, and must be used whenever he talks about canals.
Naturally, the canal programme was not welcomed by Vietnamese people, but objections to the project are further than protecting Vietnam’s port industry. Vietnam is deeply concerned that the canal and associated dams will drain water from the Mekong Delta, which could damage its essential rice farms.
Cambodia skipped consultations that could provide a clear picture of the canal’s impact on Vietnam’s water supply, but Stimson Centre Published A May 2024 report warning the canals warn that “the water may be diverted from the Mekong Basin to the Cambodia coastal estuary outside the Mekong Basin.”
The Hun Sen government often advertised canal irrigation benefits without mentioning that these benefits may come at the expense of Vietnamese farmers. The canal can also drive away up to 1.5 million Cambodian farmers living along the predicted route.
The finances of the Funan Techo Canal are even more despicable than the water it may divert. The early stages of the project were quickly completed with the support of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), but it is unclear how much funding China will actually provide.
The Hun Sen government sometimes boasted that they could fund almost all of the projects on their own, but those boasts were impossible to credit, and Hun Sen ultimately stopped them. In late 2023, the Cambodian government claimed that Cambodian companies cover 51% of the cost and have a majority ownership of the canal, with the rest coming from China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC). CRBC is due to transfer 49% of the canal’s ownership to Cambodia in 50 years after recovering its investment.
A compelling estimate of the profitability of the canal has not been published so far, and the published timetable for construction was so unrealistic that the notion that China would pay just half the $1.7 billion cost would seem highly unlikely to hand over the stock in 2073.
Some observers believe China could add the entire project bill and route some of its money through Cambodian companies, creating an illusion of ownership for the host country of 51%.
In addition to announcing the highly anticipated contract for the canal, China “admired” Cambodia during XI’s visit. Deportation This week, the number of Taiwanese citizens to China is undisclosed. The Taiwanese was arrested for running a telephone and internet fraud center.
Arizona State University Political Scientist Second Year Ear I said New York Times (NYT) On Friday, Xi’s visit to Cambodia and other Southeast Asian countries this week was a “classic geopolitical theatre.”
“As the US reduces Cambodia’s footprint, China will step in not only to fill the vacuum, but to introduce itself as a reliable and enduring partner,” Ear said.
