One Belt, One Road Disaster! 500 Ghost Towns in Cambodia, Billions Invested Lost

A Chinese blogger In Sihanoukville, Cambodia couldn't help but sigh: "It's all unfinished buildings, failures before they even begin. The tall ones over there are all unfinished buildings."
You wouldn't believe it without seeing it. Chinese investors spent billions in Cambodia, but all the properties lie abandoned. It's reported that there are over 1,000 unfinished buildings in Sihanoukville alone. Do they have no intention of completing them? This is the seaside in Sihanoukville, and the scenery here is still quite nice. However, in contrast, the abandoned buildings on the other side are quite bleak.
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[robhappe]

Everywhere where Chinese go it becomes a mess!

[martynbush]

I spent a few days in Sihanoukville around 2007 before the Chinese took over. It was really pleasant. I haven't been back since, as I'm told it's now a huge Chinese casino ghetto.

[CP-zieg]

In Cambodia China made a copy and paste of its bad habits as usual...but Cambodia people didn't realize it

[Holystar]

I remember the report that Chinese use Sihanokville as a underworld casinos, criminals, human trafficking, drug and gun dealers, and cash goes like a cycle back to mainland China. Cambodia got nothing but debts and lost their ports to China (Cambodia gov has the highest corruption too, no suprising).

[Rattler]

commenters often say china brings business...but they never tell you its bad business. 😂

[janicehuff]

A belt to strangle your economy and a road to nowhere. I hope Cambodia gets out of this situation and African countries take note.

[truesouth]

The Bait and Rob Initiative has destroyed Sihanoukville. It was once paradise found but is now paradise lost. I remember visiting years ago and it reminded me of Bali from 20 years ago. Now it looks like the Gaza Strip.

[neonboy]

This was no part of the One Belt and One Road Initiative. Sihanoukville was built with dirty money from online scammers and rich Chinese who wanted to move money out of China. All this ended when Cambodia deported 300, 000 Chinese back in 2019 and banned all online gambling n scams.

[owenb]

China's biggest export is half-constructed skyscrapers

[ICallItAsItIs]

Countries that allow china to build in there countries definitely have not heard about Tofu Dreg construction. It's suicide letting someone to do that who is not known for craftsmanship and quality.

[qtdcanada]

China's gift to Cambodia in the 1970's was the Khmer Rouge who killed up to 2 million people (~ 20-25%) of the country's population between April 1975 (when they won power) and March 1979 when they were defeated by Vietnamese forces. History repeats itself as China has given Cambodia a new gift of wrecked economy from manipulated real estate sector. Very sad & tragic!

[CultureoftheWorld]

Excellent episode
Real journalism
That mainstream media will never get

[brimleyhillmassive]

Congratulations to Sihanoukville residents for finally removing the offenders.

[peteryu]

Not only overseas in Cambodia- Ghost Town— Another popular Ghost Town is in Malaysia- situated in Johor stare

[Nitreous]

I have lived in Cambodia for 15 years. The buildings were abandoned after changes to overseas gambling laws. They were hoping to turn Sihanoukville into the next Macau....

[MaximusDC]

They overbuilt there hoping to lure mainly Chinese tourists and gamblers, nothing for the local Cambodians . Now that Chinese don’t have much money to travel & gamble, it’s a ghost town and nothing for the local to survive, a failed city at international scale for both governments.

[johnsomn]

Hey countries in AFRICA PLEASE PAY ATTENTION 😢

[senator]

dictators; are never wrong; never wrong; never wrong

[homerj]

China's newest export. Tofu dreg buildings. One of these projects is in LA. The property have been abandoned since 2019 and is now filled with graffiti because the CHINESE owner have stopped paying for security. The city is now paying millions for security for this PRIVATE PROPERTY. The CHINESE owner have refused to return the city's calls. The city may have started to lien this project.

[johnbutterfield]

I was in Cambodia 20 years ago and was in Sihanoukville for a few days.
It was a quiet small town with a beautiful quiet beach with a few beach bars on.
So sad how it has changed not for the better 😢