When casino owner Kang Qiang looks out the window of his 20th floor office in this city on the remote Cambodian coast, he sees construction cranes sitting idle.
FILE PHOTO: Chinese guests sit around a gambling table during the opening night of DV Casino in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, May 18, 2019. REUTERS/Jorge Silva
For Kang and others, the city is like the China of several decades ago - with all of the promise and none of the competition. The current idle is only a blip. As Chinese money has swept across Southeast Asia, Cambodia has become one of the most visible examples of the investment, with authoritarian Prime Minister Hun Sen doing all he can to strengthen ties to Beijing.In Sihanoukville, most of the money has been private, and the biggest share has gone into some 70 casinos - all of which are being ordered to shut from April 1 as a temporary measure to help slow the spread of coronavirus.The contrasts can be jarring.
“China speed”, exclaims Gavin Gao, a gleeful young Chinese tech entrepreneur from Chengdu who has chosen to stick things out.Cambodians have mixed feelings about the Chinese. Their arrival brought money and jobs - and now their sudden absence is causing problems. “The growth was just phenomenal, too fast!” says Transport Minister Sun Chanthol. “Now things are slowing down so it’s a good opportunity for us to catch up.”The expatriates’ confidence is buoyed by China’s apparent success in fighting the coronavirus pandemic. As cases skyrocket elsewhere in the world, zero local transmissions have been reported on some days in China, where the virus originated.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Cambodia PM orders casinos shut down as coronavirus cases climbCambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday ordered all casinos to close to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Read more »
Cher bashes Trump over coronavirus plan: 'I'm beyond his sell by date'Cher bashed Donald Trump on social media, implying he finds people like her and her mother 'dispensable,' over his assertion that he wants America to end social distancing rules designed to combat the coronavirus by Easter.
Read more »
The Coronavirus Could Change How We Vote, In 2020 And BeyondThe 2020 election will likely be different thanks to the new coronavirus. In fact, COVID-19 has already left its mark on the Democratic nomination race, with ma…
Read more »
The Coronavirus Could Change How We Vote, In 2020 And BeyondThe 2020 election will likely be different thanks to the new coronavirus. In fact, COVID-19 has already left its mark on the Democratic nomination race, with ma…
Read more »
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)Thank you to all the doctors and healthcare professionals who work night and day to care for those in need, especially during the ongoing COVID19 outbreak. Find CDCgov resources for healthcare professionals here: NationalDoctorsDay
Read more »