'No Cambodia left': how Chinese money is changing Sihanoukville

[geovalin]

The once-sleepy beach town of Sihanoukville has been transformed by Chinese investment – and the sheer speed of development has divided locals

 Hannah Ellis-Petersen in Sihanoukvillle

 

Inside a lavishly decorated casino where chandeliers hang from the ceiling, cigarette smoke lingers in the air and platters of mango are served to gamblers, a game of baccarat is getting heated. Cards are slammed down, $100 bills are brandished and the gathered crowd of Chinese tourists shout excitedly.

 

This is not Las Vegas, nor is it Macau. It is Sihanoukville, a once-sleepy city in Cambodia that has become a ballooning enclave for Chinese-run casinos – despite gambling being banned. These towering skyscrapers and vast domed structures covered in flashing neon signs have transformed Sihanoukville beyond recognition in less than two years. It will have more than 70 of them by the end of 2018.

 

read more https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/jul/31/no-cambodia-left-chinese-money-changing-sihanoukville

[yellowboat]

We all saw this coming.  Cambodians will have to live elsewhere.  Their government gave their future to the Chinese. 

[chrisinth]

22 hours ago, geovalin said:

This is not Las Vegas, nor is it Macau. It is Sihanoukville, a once-sleepy city in Cambodia that has become a ballooning enclave for Chinese-run casinos – despite gambling being banned.

Gambling in Cambodia is not banned.

 

Gambling is perfectly legal for tourists, it was outlawed for citizens in 1996 but this is a very loosely enforced law.

 

Hannah should read up on that......................

[JohnOFphon]

So.,, will they change the name? No more Cambodia...Chinbodia?

[jerry921]

6 minutes ago, JohnOFphon said:

So.,, will they change the name? No more Cambodia...Chinbodia?

Well if they rename the place to Xitown they can at least save on road-sign material.

[Emster23]

If you have access, take a look at last nights "4 Corners" on Australia network. They tell it like it is and pull no punches regarding the Mafia Thugs and family that runs & owns Cambodia

[upu2]

1 hour ago, yellowboat said:

We all saw this coming.  Cambodians will have to live elsewhere.  Their government gave their future to the Chinese. 

And Thailand is doing the same

[holy cow cm]

The world will be mostly Chinese coming soon. 

[phantomfiddler]

Sad ?

[fantom]

1 hour ago, Emster23 said:

If you have access, take a look at last nights "4 Corners" on Australia network. They tell it like it is and pull no punches regarding the Mafia Thugs and family that runs & owns Cambodia

Thanks for pointing it out.   We just watched it. Brilliant and frightening stuff.

[Layla111]

Nothing new in the concept of 'colonisation', just the methods, money not bullets and bombs, outcome of ownership the same.

 

[GreasyFingers]

When I was there a few years ago it was the Russians that ran the town.

[dinsdale]

Cambodia. Owned by China. Run by a Dictator. Very sad indeed.

[hotchilli]

Be warned the "Red peril"

get into bed with China and find yourself evicted in the morning!!

Laos is next on the hit list.. I hope Vietnam & Thailand are watching closely

One belt & road policy.. soon it will be one flag!

 

[Briggsy]

Every couple of generations, the Cambos boil up into a frenzy of violence, cruelty and vindictiveness unmatched by other races.

 

Every couple of generations, the Chinese are spooked by something, put up the shutters and retreat from the rest of the world to the Middle Kingdom.

 

I don't know when it will happen, but it will happen.

[Thaidream]

As much as I dislike Trump- he is right about China.  They are a clear and present danger to the World.  Their goal is to not only have total control over their own people but to absorb as many other cultures and lands there are and turn them into Chinese enclaves by exploiting the locals and taking their land and natural resources.

 

Their modus operandi reminds me of The Borg from the series Star Trek.A race of beings technological superior- they assimilate other cultures and make them part of their collective- absorbing their features and intellect.  Their motto:  Resistance is futile.

 

Just like the mythical Borg- the Chinese must be stopped- at all costs.

[phycokiller]

1 hour ago, Thaidream said:

As much as I dislike Trump- he is right about China.  They are a clear and present danger to the World.  Their goal is to not only have total control over their own people but to absorb as many other cultures and lands there are and turn them into Chinese enclaves by exploiting the locals and taking their land and natural resources.

 

Their modus operandi reminds me of The Borg from the series Star Trek.A race of beings technological superior- they assimilate other cultures and make them part of their collective- absorbing their features and intellect.  Their motto:  Resistance is futile.

 

Just like the mythical Borg- the Chinese must be stopped- at all costs.

yeah , if only the chinese would just carpet bomb these places instead of buying them, the american way is so much more civilized

[NomadRip]

6 hours ago, chrisinth said:

Gambling in Cambodia is not banned.

 

Gambling is perfectly legal for tourists, it was outlawed for citizens in 1996 but this is a very loosely enforced law.

 

Hannah should read up on that......................

The article said that, but you had to read past the introduction.

[Nyezhov]

29 minutes ago, phycokiller said:

yeah , if only the chinese would just carpet bomb these places instead of buying them, the american way is so much more civilized

And ultimately, so much more effective.

 

The world has a choice between USA and China. Who would you rather have?

[maximillian]

12 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

And ultimately, so much more effective.

 

The world has a choice between USA and China. Who would you rather have?

 

Same question like "Who would you rather have as president,  Clinton or Trump ?"

Same answer: "None of them."

[DILLIGAD]

As much as I dislike Trump- he is right about China.  They are a clear and present danger to the World.  Their goal is to not only have total control over their own people but to absorb as many other cultures and lands there are and turn them into Chinese enclaves by exploiting the locals and taking their land and natural resources.
 
Their modus operandi reminds me of The Borg from the series Star Trek.A race of beings technological superior- they assimilate other cultures and make them part of their collective- absorbing their features and intellect.  Their motto:  Resistance is futile.
 
Just like the mythical Borg- the Chinese must be stopped- at all costs.

Sounds rather like another ‘sect/religion’ to me?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Nyezhov]

1 hour ago, maximillian said:

 

Same question like "Who would you rather have as president,  Clinton or Trump ?"

Same answer: "None of them."

The real world doesn't allow that choice. Choose wisely, whichever way you want.

[heybuz]

china the us and australia are conducting war games in north australia this month [august] i wonder who the designated foe is going to be.

[Thaidream]

10 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

The world has a choice between USA and China. Who would you rather have?

Must disagree.  Each country has a choice to follow it's own manifest destiny and the best course for it's citizens to excel.  

 

China represents a Communist model in which the State controls everything and the State plans your life and your future.

 

America represents a Democratic Nation State that may have a flawed history  but at least the people get to choose their leadership and there is opportunity for a future controlled by the individual.

 

Regarding a choice- America has a queue  of people wanting in while China has a queue of people wanting out.  The World has already chosen.

[BritManToo]

41 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

China represents a Communist model in which the State controls everything and the State plans your life and your future.

It isn't like that now, you're 20 years out of date.

Everyone is doing their own thing these days, no State bullying or spying on private individuals any more.

They all run their own business, build their own hotels, and work for themselves, it's a country full of entrepreneurs. 

 

China today is more like America was 40 years back, lots of freedoms, unlike the USA/EU/UK which have become more repressive and totalitarian. 

 

Nyez,

If I were to have the choice of USA or Chinese citizenship, I'd choose China. 

The west has become ridiculous with its current laws favouring foreigners over native citizens.

Edited August 2, 2018 by BritManToo

[IAMHERE]

Geez, if I didn't know better I'd say the dominos are falling after all.

[Thaidream]

9 hours ago, BritManToo said:

If I were to have the choice of USA or Chinese citizenship, I'd choose China. 

The west has become ridiculous with its current laws favouring foreigners over native citizens.

You  are completely wrong about China and  America.

 

Every citizen and legal resident in America follows the same laws. Foreign born legal citizens are given nothing more than what citizens can get.  Illegals are deported when caught. While I do not like the direction of the Trump Government or its policies- I can vote him out of office by recognizing my right to vote.

 

In China- citizens have no inalienable rights and cannot vote the Government out of power.  Their economy is centrally planned by the Communist Party and all citizens must follow that plan.  There are no individual entrepreneurs- everyone who makes money is controlled by the Communist Cadre. Go ahead- open a company and try and import some item.  Unless the local Communist party agrees- it won't happen. It will never clear customs because you don't have the support of the Party.

 

If you want that life- that is up to you . Ask Hong Kong Chinese; Macau Chinese of Taiwanese where they would prefer to live -- China and the US.  The answer is America. They would never feel free in China. 

 

I will say it again- China is a clear and present danger to the World. Ask the Cambodians who live in Sihanoukville or  any other Nation that has taken in huge amount of Chinese investment and they universally are disgusted by Chinese practices and destruction of their culture. China will eventually implode and it won't be pretty.

 

The US needs to keep pressure on the Chinese Communist Party and lower its trade deficit with China as well as stop taking any Chinese money to finance American debt.