SIHANOUKVILLE, April 17 — Once a collection of sleepy fishing villages, vast Chinese investments have transformed Cambodia’s Sihanoukville into a half-finished gambling resort with signs everywhere in Mandarin.
China is the largest investor and trading partner in Cambodia, much of it directed towards the Gulf of Thailand port, a key strategic location in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) championed by leader Xi Jinping, who arrives in the country Thursday.
While welcomed by local government officials, China’s vast investments are viewed warily by critics who warn that they heap unserviceable debts on their hosts and leave the city highly dependent on Beijing.
“Sihanoukville changes…
