Context: Cambodia has launched $1.7 bn Funan Techo Canal mega connectivity project.
About Funan Techo Canal Project
- The Funan-Techo Canal Project aims to connect Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh with the coastal town of Kep located on the Gulf of Thailand by a 180 km canal.
- As per the plans, the canal will be 100 metres wide and 5.4 metres deep allowing for two shipping lanes.
- Currently, ocean-bound shipping from Phnom Penh passes through Vietnam's Mekong Delta to ports near the Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.
- The Funan Techo Canal will provide Cambodia an alternative route for sea trade and reduce its dependence of Vietnamese ports.
- The Canal project is part of the broader Belt and Road Project of China and will be built with Chinese assistance.