Cambodian PM meets Chinese delegation as landmark agreement for Funan Techo Canal project is signed

Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet held a courtesy meeting with a delegation of China Communication Construction Company led by Chairman Wang Tongzhou at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh on Friday, Agency Kampuchea Presse reported.

The construction company is among those responsible for helping Cambodia build the landmark Funan Techo Canal.

A day earlier, the Cambodian government signed a historic public-private partnership (PPP) contract with Funan Techo Coastal-Inland Waterways Co Ltd for the development of the Funan Techo Canal, according to a news release Friday evening. The transformative infrastructure project is expected to modernize Cambodia's water transport system, enhance economic independence, and strengthen regional connectivity,

The contract was signed on behalf of the Cambodian government by Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol and by project company representative Ieng Sunly.

Stretching 151.6 kilometers from the Bassac River near Phnom Penh to the coastal province of Kep, the canal will create a new inland waterway-maritime corridor capable of handling vessels up to 3,000 deadweight tons. The project will involve canal excavation, construction of ship locks and supporting navigation and logistics infrastructure.

Thursday's ceremony also marked the signing of other key legal documents, including the shareholder agreement, investment agreement, engineering-procurement-construction contract, and the operation and maintenance agreement, formalizing the full framework for project execution and long-term cooperation, the news agency reported.

"This is an ambitious engineering undertaking, but also a strategic enabler for transportation and connectivity, trade, agriculture, water management, climate change resilience, tourism, and national logistics," Sun Chanthol was cited by the news agency as saying at the signing ceremony. "It is a modern revival of a historic route —a powerful link between our Cambodian past and future."

"Let this canal serve as a lasting symbol of what can be achieved when nations cooperate in good faith, when vision is backed by action, and when the public and private sectors come together in the service of the people," he added.