Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in Cambodia on Sunday on a three-day official visit to reaffirm ties with Beijing’s closest ally in Southeast Asia. His visit was the final stop on a three-country regional tour that also visited Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
His trip comes amid foreign concerns about two major Chinese-funded projects in Cambodia – a planned canal and a naval base – that critics say could contribute to Beijing’s strategic military interests in Southeast Asia.
China is Cambodia’s most important ally and benefactor and has a strong influence on the Cambodian economy. This is illustrated by the many Chinese-funded projects, particularly infrastructure projects such as airports and roads, but also private projects such as hotels, casinos and real estate developments. More than 40% of Cambodia’s US$10 billion in foreign debt is owed to China.
Wang plans to meet separately with Prime Minister Hun Mane and his father Hun Sen. Hun Sen served as the head of the Cambodian government for 38 years. He stepped down last year and was succeeded by his son, who currently serves as the President of the Senate. The king also received a royal audience from King Norodom Sihamoni.
Hun Manet has shown no signs of departing from his father’s pro-Beijing foreign policy. Wang Yi visited Cambodia in August 2023, just days after Hun Sen announced his resignation as prime minister and his eldest son took over.
Beijing’s support has allowed Cambodia to ignore Western concerns about its poor record on human and political rights, and in turn Cambodia has generally supported Beijing’s stance on foreign policy issues such as territorial claims in the South China Sea.
Cambodia recently reaffirmed its determination to move forward with the China-funded 180-kilometer (112-mile), $1.7 billion Funantko Canal project across four southern provinces of the country, linking the capital Phnom Penh with the Cambodian capital. Gulf of Thailand.
The plan has raised concerns in neighboring Vietnam, with some scholars speculating that the 100-meter (330-foot) wide and 5.4-meter (18-foot) deep canal could make it easier for China to send troops south, closer to Vietnam’s southern coast. Vietnam has often had frosty relations with its giant northern neighbor, China, which aggressively asserts claims to waters claimed by Hanoi and launched a brief invasion in 1979.
The United States has also joined the project, calling on the Cambodian government to be more transparent. Wesley Holzer, a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh, told VOA that “the people of Cambodia, as well as those in neighboring countries and the broader region, will benefit from any improvements to areas such as regional water management, agriculture and agriculture Transparency on major projects with potential impact”. Sustainability and safety”
Speaking to government officials and villagers in the southern province of Takeo on Thursday, Hun Manet dismissed Vietnam’s concerns and vowed to move forward with the project, which he said would bring huge benefits to Cambodia.
China is also involved in another project that has attracted foreign attention, the Ream naval base in the Gulf of Thailand, which the United States and some international security analysts say is destined to become a strategic outpost for Beijing’s navy.
The base first attracted attention in 2019, when the Wall Street Journal reported that an early draft of an agreement seen by U.S. officials would allow China to use the base for 30 years, where it would be able to deploy military personnel and store weapons. and berth warships.
In response, Hun Sen repeatedly denied the existence of such an agreement, pointed out that Cambodia’s constitution does not allow foreign countries to establish military bases on its territory, and announced that he welcomed ships from all countries to visit.
The base is located in the Gulf of Thailand and borders the South China Sea, where China has aggressively claimed sovereignty over nearly the entire strategic waterway. The United States refuses to recognize China’s sweeping sovereignty claims and frequently conducts military exercises there to bolster its position in international waters.
On December 7, two Chinese naval ships became the first batch of ships to dock at the base’s new pier, coinciding with an official visit to Cambodia by senior Chinese defense officials.
Follow us on Google news ,Twitter , and Join Whatsapp Group of thelocalreport.in
