Chanrith Ngin

Chanrith Ngin

Wang Gungwu Visiting Fellow, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute

Dr Chanrith Ngin is a Wang Gungwu visiting fellow at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute and an honorary academic at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.

A screen grab from a video featuring the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway. (Internet)

Easy highway, troubled city: How China wins and loses Cambodians’ hearts

Two China-driven projects show striking contrasts. The newly opened Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway has been well-received by Cambodians. But grand plans for Sihanoukville to be an investment hub and “multi-purpose” city have instead seen Chinese businesses crowding out locals, a boom-bust cycle in construction and illicit trades.
A welder works on an overpass on the Irving Interchange infrastructure project at the site of the former Dallas Cowboys Stadium on 10 August 2022 in Irving, Texas, US. (John Moore/Getty Images/AFP)

G7’s global infrastructure and investment drive: Not so attractive for Southeast Asia

The Group of Seven’s new infrastructure and investment drive seeks to provide what Southeast Asia needs, such as financing for hard infrastructure. However, ISEAS academic Chanrith Ngin believes that the need for multiple stakeholders and financing issues might not garner much buy-in from the region, and some countries may opt out to avoid being caught in the geopolitical competition between China and the US.