Senate President Hun Sen has assured Vietnamese
leaders that Cambodia will never allow Chinese troops to be stationed on its
territory.
Mr Hun Sen made the remarks on April 26 during his gala dinner
with Cambodian Oknha Association at Garden City Hotel Phnom Penh.
He told Vietnamese leaders that Cambodia was not naive to deploy
Chinese troops on its soil.
He said that the Funan Techo canal project will enable certain
Cambodian goods to bypass Vietnam and without incurring additional taxes.
“First and foremost, why does Cambodia need Chinese troops?
Second, Cambodia and Vietnam are good neighbours who cooperate in all areas.
Third, China and Vietnam have good relations and are comprehensive strategic
partners. Finally, why would Cambodia allow Chinese troops into the country
that it violated the Constitution?,” Mr Hun Sen said.
The Funan Techo Canal, a project estimated at $1.7 billion, is
set to be executed by a Chinese company through a build-operate-transfer (BOT)
arrangement.
The canal, spanning about 180 km, aims to link the Phnom Penh
River port with the Gulf of Thailand in southwestern Cambodia. It will
originate from Prek Takeo on the Mekong River, winding its way through Prek Ta
Ek and Prek Ta Hing on the Bassac River in Kandal province’s Koh Thom district,
and extending into the coastal province of Kep.
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