Phnom Penh: Chinese leader Xi Jinping urged Cambodia to “resist protectionism” as he arrived in Phnom Penh on Thursday at the end of a three-nation tour of Southeast Asia, with US tariffs threatening the economies of both countries.

Cambodia is a major exporter of clothing and footwear to the United States, and was slapped with a US import tax of 49pc, one of the highest globally, before “reciprocal” duties were paused until July for most countries, except those on China which faces combined tariffs of 145pc.

In an article published in Cambodian media, Xi urged Phnom Penh to oppose “hegemonism” and “protectionism”, repeating messages he sent earlier this week to Vietnam and Malaysia during the first two legs of his trip. Phnom Penh is a close partner of China, which has invested billions of dollars in projects including roads and airports, and is the country’s largest creditor.

“We expect more cooperation including on infrastructure development,” Meas Soksensan, spokesman for the Cambodian finance ministry, said on the eve of Xi’s arrival in the capital Phnom Penh.

He was answering a question about whether Cambodia expected Beijing to announce financial support for a 180 km canal, which is the country’s most ambitious infrastructure project.

Xi, who has a road named after him on the outskirts of the Cambodian capital, extolled the positive economic impact of past Chinese infrastructure projects, pledged to continue to “unswervingly support” Cambodia’s development, but mentioned no new specific project in his statements on Thursday.

Cambodia’s government said late on Thursday the two countries signed 37 documents during Xi’s visit, including on investment, trade and finance, but it did not elaborate on content and on whether they entailed binding or financial commitments.

It has said China would pay for the Funan Techo Canal, which would run from the Mekong River, from a site near Phnom Penh, to the coast on the Gulf of Thailand, diverting water from the fragile rice-growing Mekong Delta and reducing Cambodian shipping through Vietnamese ports.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2025