By 
Anna Pelizzari
Timelab, May 26, 2020
China and Cambodia are tightening their economic and political ties through new agreements. This cooperation comes at a time of shifting trade alliances and intensifying scrutiny over Cambodia’s political independence, creating human rights concerns and environmental risks.
The declining US-Cambodia relations and global tariffs imposed by Donald Trump are complicating Cambodia’s economic landscape and pushing it closer to Beijing. China and Cambodia have strengthened their partnership with new agreements on transportation infrastructure and supply chain development, with a deal to jointly build the ambitious Funan Techo Canal. The purpose of this 180-kilometer canal is to connect the Mekong River to the Gulf of Thailand, creating a new shipping route. While the project was initially projected to cost $1.7 billion, it has since been scaled back to $1.16 billion, with Cambodian investors holding a slight majority share.
However, the renewed cooperation is leading to concerns over human rights issues tied to the two countries’ agreements. Critics have raised alarms over the environmental consequences for the Mekong Delta river region, geopolitical implications for regional trade routes and Cambodia’s strategic alignment with a country whose human rights record remains controversial. In a joint statement, China praised Cambodia’s crackdown on online gambling and telecom fraud, in addition to the recent deportation of Chinese and Taiwanese nationals to China. Human rights advocates have condemned these actions and highlighted the lack of transparency surrounding the treatment of deportees, particularly those from Taiwan.
Beyond economic agreements, the two governments agreed to launch new dialogues between their foreign and defense ministries. China’s influence in Cambodia has also created discussions on the recent expansion of the Ream Naval Base and the potential erosion of Cambodia’s political independence.
Sources and Further Readings:
China, Cambodia vow supply chain cooperation, sign canal deal
Comments