Influx of Chinese Money to Cambodia's Sihanoukville Leads to Mixed Reactions

TaiwanPlus News

Chinese investment has been pouring in to Sihanoukville in Cambodia in efforts to turn it into a booming tourist hot spot where gambling is legal for foreign tourists. But the developments have met with mixed reactions from locals.

Transcript

00:00Construction workers labour away in the heat of Cambodia's Siak-ne-Vil.

00:08Once a collection of fishing villages, this coastal city is being revamped by Chinese investors into a casino hub.

00:16Siak-ne-Vil is a key participant in Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative,

00:21an international development project meant to enhance global trade routes.

00:26And the local government is keen to keep the funds flowing in.

00:31China also invests not only in Siak-ne-Vil, not only in Cambodia, but also in the region too.

00:38So we are the one of the competitors too, who can try to bring Chinese investment to the country too.

00:49But it's not just a philanthropic endeavour from China.

00:52Cambodia is a crucial ally in a region where Beijing is at odds with many other countries over its claims to much of the South China Sea.

01:02China stands as Cambodia's largest investor and trading partner,

01:07and it is owed over $3.6 billion by Phnom Penh, all seen as part of its efforts to build a strategic foothold in the region.

01:17And while the investments are welcomed by Cambodia's government, not everyone shares the sentiment.

01:23Some of the projects have been too mega, too quickly, and there's no organic demand for them.

01:32Many of the skyscrapers now towering over Siak-ne-Vil remain empty, leading some people to see this as a ghost town.

01:42And it's not the only pitfall.

01:44Siak-ne-Vil's designation as a special economic zone, where gambling is legal for foreign tourists,

01:50has also attracted criminal gangs and their operations.

01:54Because of our addiction to free, fast, easy money, we continue to allow, for example, scams and bad actors to come in.

02:05But at this roadside shop, food vendor Wang Guohua shows no concerns for the darker side of rapid growth.

02:12We hope that the two countries will be better.

02:18For Wang, the strong friendship between Cambodia and China is good for business.

02:32And as developers hurry on with the latest resort constructions, people here can only hope their gamble pays off in the long run.

02:41Klein Wang and Izzy Wells for Taiwan Plus.

02:44At least it was from their house, it was quite recent.

02:45Unlike our customers as

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