Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen on April 9 denied recent suggestions that an upcoming navigation canal project through the country’s south could facilitate the entry of Chinese naval ships up the Mekong River.
“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 on the platform X.
Cambodia envisions the US$1.7 billion (S$2.3 billion), 180km Funan Techo canal, which links Phnom Penh’s river port to the coast, as a key artery for economic growth by allowing Cambodian goods to bypass Vietnamese ports and also create jobs for the 1.6 million people living en route.
