Asian Insider Podcast: How Chinese money transformed Cambodian coastal town Sihanoukville

Sihanoukville’s new wide roads and walkways – are the product of a roughly US$300 million (S$417 million) upgrade. ST PHOTO: TAN HUI YEE

Foreign Editor

Updated

Published

Jul 13, 2022, 06:00 PM

Synopsis: The Straits Times' foreign editor Bhagyashree Garekar hosts ST’s Indochina bureau chief Tan Hui Yee.

They talk about China’s presence especially in this region in light of Hui Yee's recent reporting trip to Cambodia. She visited Sihanoukville, a quiet coastal town which has been transformed by Chinese investment.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, a flood of Chinese casino and hotel investments brought a construction boom to the Cambodian coastal city.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:00 The transformation of Sihanoukville

3:55 How do residents in Sihanoukville feel? Did Cambodian businesses feel sidelined?

6:52 Surveys of regional policymakers, academicians and businessmen show China is the least trusted country in the region; but is this feeling as intense on the ground in countries like Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia?

10:25 Chinese loans, Laos and fears that it could become the next Sri Lanka, with a high debt burden

16:10 Other big China Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects in the region: Are they proceeding as planned?

Highlights (click/tap above):

Produced by: Bhagyashree Garekar (bhagya@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis, Hadyu Rahim and Eden Soh

Edited by: Eden Soh

Subscribe to the Asian Insider Podcast channel and rate us on your favourite audio apps:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8

Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/wQsB

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts