"Look. It's China over there, China there, China here. Everything is China around here.”
Wanli Tire in January broke ground on a new $500 million plant in Bavet in Svay Rieng province, more than three hours from Phnom Penh by car. The plant sits near a factory run by another big Chinese tire maker, Sailun Group.
Roughly 80% of investment in the Bavet area comes from mainland Chinese or Hong Kong companies.
Much of Bavet's appeal lies in its location — about 4 hours by land from Cai Mep-Thi Vai, Vietnam's largest international port. By setting up shop across the border from Vietnam in Cambodia, companies can benefit from lower labor costs while still having access to an international port.
The route running from Cai Mep-Thi Vai through Bavet and across Cambodia into Thailand has been dubbed the Southern Economic Corridor. The E1 expressway between Phnom Penh and Bavet was built with 
government support.
More recently, however, Cambodia has been tilting toward Belt & Road Initiative, with highways and ports being built with Chinese money. State-owned China Road & Bridge is building a new expressway between Phnom Penh and Bavet, the same corridor spanned by the Japanese-funded highway.
On Apr 9, local media reported that a company will build Cambodia's first oil refinery. Later that month, BYD held a groundbreaking ceremony for a vehicle assembly plant at the Sihanoukville SEZ in southwestern Cambodia.
asia.nikkei.com/Economy/China-
Wanli Tire in January broke ground on a new $500 million plant in Bavet in Svay Rieng province, more than three hours from Phnom Penh by car. The plant sits near a factory run by another big Chinese tire maker, Sailun Group.
Roughly 80% of investment in the Bavet area comes from mainland Chinese or Hong Kong companies.
Much of Bavet's appeal lies in its location — about 4 hours by land from Cai Mep-Thi Vai, Vietnam's largest international port. By setting up shop across the border from Vietnam in Cambodia, companies can benefit from lower labor costs while still having access to an international port.
The route running from Cai Mep-Thi Vai through Bavet and across Cambodia into Thailand has been dubbed the Southern Economic Corridor. The E1 expressway between Phnom Penh and Bavet was built with government support.
More recently, however, Cambodia has been tilting toward Belt & Road Initiative, with highways and ports being built with Chinese money. State-owned China Road & Bridge is building a new expressway between Phnom Penh and Bavet, the same corridor spanned by the Japanese-funded highway.
On Apr 9, local media reported that a company will build Cambodia's first oil refinery. Later that month, BYD held a groundbreaking ceremony for a vehicle assembly plant at the Sihanoukville SEZ in southwestern Cambodia.
asia.nikkei.com/Economy/China-