Visited Cambodia 4-5 years ago and learned most of the locals hate Chinese business influence and Chinese tourists. One of the worst was a tour guide that started the tour by informing us we came at a great time because it was before the Chinese tourists arrived. Then at each restroom we passed by he encouraged us to use it before the Chinese did because they will make it dirty.
Chicoms got the money. Why shouldn’t they use it? We should give Viet Nam the $4 billion Kissinger promised.
The Chinese have ruined Cambodia. Built a bunch of half a finished casinos in Kampong Saom/Sihanoukville (very near Ream) and forced Cambodians into slave labor in scam call centers (literally imprisoned slaves).
They burnt the local people out of their fishing villages in Kiri Sakor and Botum Sakor Districts of Koh Kong Province to put up a half-finished resort and a very interesting airbase.
I knew Ream well back in 1992-1993. Back then, there were still the creaking rusting metal hulks of what was left of the Cambodian Navy after we bombed it so well. The only working naval vessels were a couple of Vietnnam-era American landing crafts, two PCFs (coastal swift boats), compliments of the Vietnanese, and an old Stenka, compliments of Russia — all painted white with UN stenciled on them. The Stenka was fun!
Oil/gas deposits were discovered in the waters near those tiny uninhabited islands just south of Koh Sdach in Kiri Sakor district some years ago.
Southwestern Cambodia was so beautiful back then, before the Chinese came there. So heartbreaking what they have done to the people, the shoreline, the land.
More here:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-66851049
https://www.voacambodia.com/a/5589798.html
BTW, Cambodians hated the Chinese long before this — one of the things they complained most about “during Pol Pot Time” was, get this — the Chinese music they played through loudspeakers. Oh how they hated Chinese music! Can’t blame them.
I spent a few weeks in Cambodia in 2020. The Vietnamese really hate the Chinese. They were at war in 1979.
The problem in Cambodia was Pol Pot, who was the Hitler of Cambodia. He was a China puppet. I visited the killing fields where Pol Pot had millions murdered 1975 to 1979. The people hate China, but they are so poor that they rely on China.
Vietnamese stated that they allow Chinese to visit, but not live or own businesses there.