“The Reach of China’s Fourth-Ranked Construction Giant: A Glimpse into its ASEAN Ventures”

According to a recent report by the Government News, during his working visit to China to attend the 16th Annual Meeting of the New Champions of the World Economic Forum (WEF Tianjin) and his meeting with leaders of leading Chinese corporations in the railway and transportation infrastructure sector, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized the importance of strategic cooperation.

In his meeting with Mr. Wang Dongzhu, Chairman of the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), the Prime Minister commended the company’s efficient operations in Vietnam over the past three decades, with completed contract values exceeding USD 3 billion, particularly in areas such as transportation infrastructure, railways, and urban railways.

Mr. Wang expressed his desire to further expand investments and participate in several key projects in Vietnam, including the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong railway, the high-speed North-South railway, metro lines in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, seaports in Lach Huyen and Can Gio, as well as expressway and offshore wind power projects.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh welcomed CCCC’s long-term cooperation orientation and emphasized Vietnam’s commitment to promoting the development of railway infrastructure technology, aiming for technological autonomy in this field. He suggested that CCCC coordinate with units such as the Vietnam Railway Corporation and the Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City Railway Management Boards to implement specific plans. Particularly, the Prime Minister encouraged the corporation to explore public-private partnership (PPP) models in Vietnam.

CCCC’s Imprint in Malaysia

According to The Edge Malaysia, for those unfamiliar, the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project in Malaysia, with a length of 665 km, has brought the project’s main contractor, China Communications Construction Co Ltd. (CCCC), into the spotlight.

However, while the ECRL is CCCC’s largest project in Malaysia, it does not fully represent the company’s presence in the country. As the world’s fourth-largest construction company by revenue, CCCC, through its subsidiary China Harbour Engineering Co Ltd. (CHEC), has made significant inroads in Malaysia since the 1990s.

The Edge Malaysia reports that CCCC, headquartered in Beijing, manages projects in over 150 countries by delegating responsibilities to its subsidiaries. In Malaysia, this task primarily falls to CHEC, including the ECRL project, although other CCCC subsidiaries are also seeking opportunities in the country.

Recently completed projects by CHEC in Malaysia include the 8 km long 275 kV Prai to Pulau Pinang overhead transmission line, which was finished in November 2024 after three years of construction.

In the state of Sabah, the Sapangar Bay Oil Terminal jetty expansion project was completed in September 2023, taking three years to finish.

Other projects that CHEC is involved in include the Damansara-Shah Alam (DASH) and Sungai Besi-Ulu Kelang (SUKE) highways, the third dry dock of Malaysia Marine Heavy and Engineering Bhd in Johor, and land reclamation for Westports Holdings Bhd.

One ongoing project is the first phase of a project to reclaim over 250 hectares at the Kuala Linggi Port in Melaka state, which is expected to be completed by June 2027.

CHEC is also participating in the Malaysia-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link project, which includes the installation of a bridge section in Malaysia and rail works in Singapore.

In the state of Sarawak, the company is constructing the 12.4 km long Red Line and eight stations of the Kuching Urban Transportation System (KUTS), which includes a 6.8 km elevated railway and a 5.6 km ground-level railway, expected to be completed by December next year.

CHEC is also in the process of building a 28 km long section of the Second Sarawak Trunk Road, from Sebuyau to Lingga, Samarahan, and Sri Aman, in the state of Sarawak, slated for completion in February 2026. In total, the company holds three packages on the trunk road, including the Sungai Sarawak Bridge, which was completed in March last year.

Additionally, the company has undertaken projects related to the Ampang LRT Line, MRT1, the Second Penang Bridge, Kuantan Port, Terengganu Silica Bulk Jetty, Pan Borneo Highway in Sarawak, Sutera Harbour Resort in Sabah, and land reclamation in Pulau Indah, Selangor.

Duy Nguyen

According to Government News, People’s Army Newspaper, and The Edge Malaysia