The Geopolitics of Cambodia’s Funan Techo Canal

In Cambodia, the $1.7 billion Funan Techo Canal, which will connect Phnom Penh and the Gulf of Thailand, symbolizes national pride, security, and international trade connectivity. This sentiment is echoed by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and his mentor father, Hun Sen, who transferred power to him last year. 

Cambodia has been in dire need of, and reliant on, external support for national development. But what is worrisome for neighboring countries and a range of concerned parties, including the United States and its allies, is the lack of clarity in its policies, mostly supported by China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), that have potential implications for both regional stability and environmental sustainability.

With its potential to foster Chinese-backed economic enclaves and military installations, the canal poses a foreseeable challenge to Vietnam’s national security.

Read the full article in The Diplomat.