China's aid in the construction of the Cambodian Grand Canal is beneficial for the development of the region Excavator Rotary Motors

China's aid in the construction of the Cambodian Grand Canal is beneficial for the development of the region Excavator Rotary Motors

Cambodian people celebrated the official groundbreaking of the Dechong Funan Canal, which was built with Chinese assistance, on the 5th through fireworks, drumming, and martial arts performances. The canal is expected to be completed in four years, connecting the Mekong River and the Cambodian coast of the Gulf of Thailand.Rotary Motors

The total length of the canal is 180 kilometers, with a width of 100 meters and a depth of 5.4 meters. The entire canal system will connect the inland ports on the Mekong River in Phnom Penh with another navigable river, the Barcelona River; Then continue through four provinces to reach the sea outlet. The initial cost of the project is 1.7 billion US dollars. The project was approved in May last year and will be carried out in a build operate transfer model: it will be built and operated by a Cambodian Chinese joint venture for a period of time, and then the canal will be returned to the government.Rotary Motors
The report states that two state-owned enterprises, Sihanoukville Autonomous Port and Phnom Penh Autonomous Port, will jointly hold a 51% stake in the joint venture with a Cambodian private company. The remaining 49% of the shares will be held by China Road and Bridge Corporation Limited.Rotary Motors
Cambodia needs this project. At present, Cambodian goods are transported through Vietnam via the Mekong River to ports in the Gulf of Thailand. As Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Ma Nai said, the new waterway will allow Cambodia to breathe with its own nose.
China is the largest investor in Cambodia. Shen Shishun, a researcher at the China Institute of International Studies, pointed out that China's investment in this canal is also aimed at enhancing its image in the region, first and foremost as a major trading partner.
The report quoted Shen Shishun as saying: "At present, China is improving and promoting the mechanism of high-quality joint construction of the the Belt and Road, and the construction of the Maritime Silk Road is an important part of it. The diversification of river transport routes is not only good for China and Cambodia's trade imports and exports, but also helps to strengthen China's trade ties with Southeast Asian countries. At the same time, it can further promote the overseas construction of the the Belt and Road, display China's image as a responsible big country, and improve its influence in the international community."Excavator Rotary Motors
Even before the construction of the canal, the project had been questioned, defamed, and attacked by some Western and regional media. Some people believe that the project seems to exacerbate tensions between China, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
Vasily Kortasov, director of the Russian Institute of New Society Studies, said that the attempt to escalate the conflict between Vietnam and China Cambodia by building a canal is unfounded.Excavator Rotary Motors
Koltashev said, "Vietnam understands that the canal is part of driving the economic development process of the entire region, and ultimately Vietnam can benefit from it. Vietnam also acknowledges that Cambodia is making efforts to utilize its material and labor resources in order to interact more actively with foreign markets, including the Chinese market
Shen Shishun believes that cooperation with China has strengthened the overall strength of the Gulf of Thailand region, which is unfavorable for Western countries that have their own interests there, and this also explains why they hold a negative attitude towards canal construction.
The overall plan released by Cambodia this year has identified the priority development direction for 174 projects in the next 10 years, with an estimated total investment of 36.68 billion US dollars, including railway, inland canal, highway and other projects. The construction of the canal is related to national interests, and as a result, cooperation between China and Cambodia is more valued, which undoubtedly has significant importance for the development of the entire region.Excavator Rotary Motors