PHNOM PENH -- Cambodia began construction Monday on a $1.7 billion canal aimed at linking the Mekong River to the sea, a China-backed project that has raised concerns about Beijing's growing influence in the region.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the Funan Techo Canal was held that day near Phnom Penh. Calling the project "historic," Prime Minister Hun Manet said: "This project is not just an infrastructure project, but a nationalistic endeavor."
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