Vietnam has requested Cambodia to share information on the US$1.7 billion Funan Techo canal project and evaluate its possible impacts on the water resources as well as the ecological environment of the Mekong Delta region, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Deputy spokesman for the foreign ministry Doan Khac Viet was speaking at a regular press meeting in Hanoi on Thursday in reply to foreign reporters' query related to the Funan Techo canal project, recently announced by the Cambodian Ministry of Public Works and Transport.

“Vietnam supports the socio-economic development of all countries along the Mekong River, and at the same time value cooperation in the management, use, and protection of the river’s water resources for the region’s sustainable development, the interests of regional countries, the future of next generations, and the solidarity of relevant nations,” Viet stated. 

The diplomat stressed that Vietnam is therefore very interested in the canal project. 

“Vietnam has asked Cambodia to maintain close cooperation with Vietnam and the Mekong River Commission in sharing information and evaluating the possible impacts of the canal on the water resources and ecological environment of the Mekong Delta region to ensure a harmony of interests among riverine nations and their people,” Viet said.

According to Cambodian media, the canal is expected to be 180km long, connecting the Phnom Penh river port with the Gulf of Thailand, southwest of Cambodia. 

The canal will run through the Cambodian provinces of Kandal, Takeo, Kampot, and Kep.

This project was previously called the Bassac River Navigation and Logistics System (BRNLS), which was renamed ‘Funan Techo canal’ at the sixth plenary session of the Cambodian National Assembly on May 19, 2023.

According to a Cambodian document submitted to the Mekong River Commission in August 2023, the canal will begin operating in 2028. 

Construction on the project is expected to kick off by the end of this year at an estimated cost of about $1.7 billion.

According to its design, the Funan Techo canal will be 100m and 80m wide upstream and downstream, respectively, and have a consistent depth of 5.4m.

Last month, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet affirmed that the Funan Techo canal project would benefit about 1.6 million people living along it and create many other benefits for national development, according to Khmer Times.

The project is also expected to attract enterprises in various industries to the canal area, generating a lot of jobs for locals.

PM Manet also said that the Funan Techo canal will be built by Chinese construction partners under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) method.

AFP cited Cambodian officials as saying that the canal will be constructed with Chinese funding.

In a speech on Thursday in Takeo, where the future canal will go through, Manet reiterated that Cambodia will push forward the plan to build the Funan Techo canal connecting the capital Phnom Penh to the sea.

Dismissing concerns surrounding the construction of this canal, the PM said “the canal is a historic project that will provide benefits to our people,” according to AFP.  

Speaking about concerns that Chinese warships could use the canal, Manet affirmed, “We will not allow (any country) to use our country as a base against other countries, let alone a military base.”

He added that the canal would be too shallow for a warship to pass through.

The Cambodian leader also claimed that the canal would not impact the water flow of the mainstream Mekong, whose fisheries help feed millions in the region.

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