China is funding the construction of a new $3.5 million office building for the leaders of the Cambodian Senate, an official said yesterday.

The signing ceremony for the project was held on Monday between the Senate’s secretary general, Oum Sarith, and Peng Zheng, the project manager for the Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Group.

“This building will be used for the offices of the Senate president, his first deputy, and the second deputy presidents,” said Sarith, adding that it was the ninth building China had funded for the body.

The construction is set to take 14 months, while the building will cover an area of 1,500 square metres within the existing compound, Sarith added.

China has provided cars and office supplies for the body before, and has donated equipment to numerous other governmental offices. China is also set to fund the construction of an expressway to Sihanoukville.

Cambodian leaders have been accused of toeing Beijing’s line thanks to its no-strings-attached deals, but they claim the projects assist national development.