Eleven’s Asian offensive: Cambodia wants cash, China calls for opposition to hegemony, power politics cooperation
In an article published in Cambodian media before his visit, Xi Jinping also urged Phnom Penh to resist protectionism and maintain an open international environment for cooperation, responding to similar messages conveyed during his early stops in Vietnam and Malaysia.
Xi Jinping’s visit to Cambodia is the last stop of his Three Kingdoms Southeast Asia Tour, which aims to enhance Beijing’s regional influence amid escalating geopolitical and trade tensions.
According to the news agency, the Chinese president is scheduled to arrive in Phnom Penh on Thursday, and the Cambodian government hopes to make specific financial commitments, especially for major infrastructure projects.
Cambodia’s Eye Supports $1.7B Project
As Xi Jinping landed in Cambodia, the country was betting on new financial support from Beijing.
Speech ReutersMesoksensan, spokesman for the Cambodian Ministry of Economy and Finance, said the government expects further cooperation in China, especially in the field of infrastructure.
Asked if China would fund the ambitious 180-km Funan Techo canal, Soksensan said Phnom Penh was hopeful.
“We expect more collaborations including infrastructure development,” he said.
The canal project is expected to cost about US$1.7 billion, accounting for 4% of Cambodia’s GDP, but has not received Chinese public financial commitments yet Reuters Famous.
Although Cambodian officials have previously said China will fully fund the canal, the latest statement extends that number to 49% of the contribution.
The canal will link the Mekong River near Phnom Penh to the Gulf of Thailand, which has raised concerns in Vietnam about its environmental impact on the fragile Mekong Delta and the potential to redirect its trade to Vietnamese ports.
Although XI highlighted previous Chinese infrastructure investments that benefited the Cambodian economy from his articles, Reuters Reports say he did not name any new projects.
Official data from Reuters It also shows that Beijing has not signed new loans to Cambodia in the past year, which is significantly different from previous years, when hundreds of millions of dollars of Chinese financing flowed into the country.
The decline reflects a wider cut in overseas lending amid China’s domestic economic pressure and concerns over failed or controversial projects.
Strategic allies are in tension
Xi Jinping’s visit highlighted the growing political and economic ties between Beijing and Phnom Penh.
according to ReutersChina and Cambodia often refer to themselves as “Ironclad” friends, which has caused anger from Beijing despite recent frictions at the Chinese business scam center in Cambodia.
Reuters It also pointed out that in early April, the two countries held a joint military exercise at the Ream Naval Base on the expansion of the coast of Cambodia, a site that shocked Washington, fearing it would evolve into a Chinese military outpost in the region.
Trade pressure and diplomatic balance
By diverting global trade momentum, Cambodia’s economic outlook has become complicated. As the leading exporter of clothing and footwear in the U.S., the country was subjected to a “countdown” tariff of 49% by U.S. President Donald Trump, one of the world’s highest tax rates, after most responsibilities were temporarily suspended until July.
As the United States and China fall into protracted trade competition, Xi Jinping’s Southeast Asia tour (a strategic diplomatic push) attempts to gather regional support for more global order.
In his message to Cambodia, Xi Jinping reiterated an inclusive and cooperative international system without a dominant and trade protectionist policy.
