Turbulent Start for $2 Billion China-Built Airport Despite Trump Peace Deal

A handshake between U.S. President Donald Trump and the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia marked the signing of the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords, promising calm in a volatile region and the prospect of economic liftoff for its neighbors.

For Cambodia, that hope is embodied in the Techo International Airport (TIA), a gleaming new gateway meant to anchor a tourism revival. Yet as the first planes touch down, the runway to success looks uncertain: Visitor numbers are falling, and the fate of the airport now rests as much on the durability of the peace deal as on passengers.

Newsweek has contacted Cambodia's Foreign Ministry for comment.

TIA represents Cambodia’s boldest bet yet on tourism-driven growth. The nation’s economic strategy relies heavily on attracting millions of regional visitors, particularly from Thailand—a country with which it has only recently emerged from violent border clashes.

The peace accord builds on a

visit website