'China here, China there': Cambodian city reshaped by Chinese money

Manufacturing influx brings competition for labor and energy

20250508N cambodia chinatown MAIN

Signs written in Chinese can be found lining the streets of Bavet, Cambodia. (Photo by Yuji Nitta)

YUJI NITTA

BAVET, Cambodia -- As Chinese manufacturers ramp up investment in this Cambodian border city, whole neighborhoods are cropping up to cater to them while signs emerge that factories are straining the power grid and labor market.

Bavet in Svay Rieng province, more than three hours from Phnom Penh by car, is tucked into a corner of the country's southeastern border where it juts into Vietnam.

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