SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia -- Once a tranquil seaside enclave in southwestern Cambodia, Sihanoukville, or Kompong Som, has turned into a paradise for Chinese investors in recent years. Casinos, hotels, restaurants, massage parlors and supermarkets are festooned in signs in Chinese. More buildings are under construction, fueled by an incessant inflow of Chinese money and people.
Although the city, 220 km southwest of the capital Phnom Penh and named after the country's late king, is becoming a Chinese outpost, the key feature that makes Sihanoukville shine -- the only deep-water seaport in the country -- remains out of Beijing's reach.
