The Chinese embassy in Cambodia sought to downplay reports it had pulled out of a controversial canal project by publishing an article that described them as “complete nonsense”.
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Media reports said Beijing had withdrawn from the US$1.7 billion Funan Techo canal, which will link the capital Phnom Penh with the Gulf of Thailand, after a disagreement about control of the project.
The project has also caused concern in neighbouring Vietnam and in the United States, while conservationists have warned it threatens “fragile” ecosystems and agriculture.
On Tuesday, the Chinese embassy posted an article on social media which said domestic and international media had reported that “China will no longer provide support to Cambodia, and the canal project will fail, affecting the ironclad friendship between China and Cambodia.”
It added: “This is complete nonsense.”
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The groundbreaking ceremony for the 180km (112-mile) waterway was held in August, but months later there was no sign of work beginning on the project, according to domestic and international media reports.