Geoeconomic and policy analysis
2026-04-26
12 minute read
12 sources
Cambodia 2026: Hun Manet's Inherited State, the Funan Techo Canal, and the Quiet Pivot to Beijing
Hun Manet took the premiership on 22 August 2023, ground broke on the 180 km Funan Techo Canal in August 2024, the PLA Navy berthed at Ream in July 2024, and US buyers absorbed about 9 billion dollars of Cambodian apparel in 2024.
Hun Manet, West Point class of 1999 and son of Hun Sen, was sworn in as Cambodia's 36th prime minister on 22 August 2023, four weeks after the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) took 120 of 125 National Assembly seats (National Election Committee). The succession is dynastic and the policy envelope tilts firmly toward Beijing. On 5 August 202...