Vietnam is accelerating the development of its longest sea-crossing bridge and associated deep-water port project, located in Kien Giang Province at the country's southernmost tip, approximately an 8-hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City. The project connects the mainland to Phu Quoc Island and has a total investment of nearly $4 billion. It aims to link the Mekong Delta region to international shipping routes in the Gulf of Thailand, serving both civilian and military purposes. Although the project was initially planned years ago, the construction of the De Chao Phu Nam Canal in Cambodia—funded by China—has intensified Vietnam's concerns about China's growing influence in Cambodia and its dominance in the South China Sea. As a result, the project has gained urgency and been elevated to a strategic priority. The new port will strengthen Vietnam’s military and logistics presence in the western South Sea, serving as a geopolitical counterbalance against Cambodia potentially bypassing Vietnamese ports and undermining Vietnam’s economic leverage.
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Original article: toutiao.com/article/1869957129763211/
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