China has announced approval for infrastructure projects in mainland Southeast Asia at this year’s round of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summits. Beijing’s announcement on Thursday indicated that the Belt and Road Initiative is back on the agenda after nearly three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, VOA News reported.
Infrastructure projects announced by China include a $1.6 billion expressway to be developed from Phnom Penh to Bavet on the Cambodia-Vietnam border. In addition, Beijing has announced support for a rail link between Phnom Penh, Bangkok and Vientiane, from where a high-speed rail link has already been made to China, VOA News reported.
During the signing ceremony, Cambodian Minister of Public Works and Transport Sun Chanthol said the expressway will connect with the Vietnam Expressway between Ho Chi Minh City and the Moc Bai border gate with Bavet.
Chathol said both projects are expected to be completed by the end of 2026 or early 2027. He said the projects will help create a key link with Asian Highway 1, which links China through Myanmar to Thailand, the Cambodia and Vietnam.
Sun Chanthol announced that the length of the expressway will be 138 kilometers and will include a large bridge. He said the estimated cost to build the expressway is less than that of the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville expressway.
On Wednesday, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang inaugurated the 187-kilometer China Expressway from the capital to Sihanoukville, cutting the five-hour road trip in half.
“The expressway will be 138 kilometers long, with a long bridge,” said Sun Chanthol, according to VOA News.
“The estimated cost is a little less than that of the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville expressway, although its length is shorter,” he added.
According to the VOA News report, the expressways are expected to connect the new Phnom Penh International Airport, which is being built under the Belt and Road Initiative by China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Group Co. Phnom Penh International Airport is expected to be operational by 2025.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang signed 18 protocols with Cambodia, including health care and support for Phnom Penh, which is hosting the Southeast Asian Games next year. He announced aid to improve the lives of “Cambodian citizens,” according to the news report. Among them, five protocols also supported the construction of roads and bridges that will create a transport network – rail, road and waterways in Cambodia.
Lee’s announcement comes after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Chinese President Xi Jinping signed an agreement in March to advance the Belt and Road Initiative by developing more physical infrastructure in Cambodia. Many of the projects have been put on hold due to China’s strict policies on COVID-19 and “rising anti-Chinese sentiment” seen before the outbreak of the pandemic, VOA News reported citing analysts.
