A Jungle Airstrip Stirs Suspicions About China’s Plans for Cambodia

I am on record for saying during Obama's reign that whoever was running the state department sucked when it came to S.E. Asia. The Chinese military’s “string of pearls" or one belt and road is spreading out and acquiring/building deep water ports and airstrips to handle bombers and fighters not just in Cambodia but Africa and of course the recently built islands in the South China Sea. If China can resupply and project airpower over the region then there will be more who will fold into the Chinese sphere of influence..IMO

Cambodia has been sucking up to the Chinese big time simple because the Chinese have money to bribe the officials who will sell their country out as long as the corrupt leaders are the ones who benefit. It is not just in Cambodia as the Chinese have made offerings to just about anyone who would listen in S.E. Asia.

Strategically this is a great deal for China as anyone who can look at a map will realize.

Dec. 22, 2019

DARA SAKOR, Cambodia — The airstrip stretches like a scar through what was once unspoiled Cambodian jungle.

When completed next year on a remote stretch of shoreline, Dara Sakor International Airport will boast the longest runway in Cambodia, complete with the kind of tight turning bay favored by fighter jet pilots. Nearby, workers are clearing trees from a national park to make way for a port deep enough to host naval ships.

The politically connected Chinese company building the airstrip and port says the facilities are for civilian use. But the scale of the land deal at Dara Sakor — which secures 20 percent of Cambodia’s coastline for 99 years — has raised eyebrows, especially since the portion of the project built so far is already moldering in malarial jungle.

The activity at Dara Sakor and other nearby Chinese projects is stirring fears that Beijing plans to turn this small Southeast Asian nation into a de facto military outpost.

Already, a far-flung Chinese construction boom — on disputed islands in the South China Sea, across the Indian Ocean and onward to Beijing’s first military base overseas, in the African Horn nation of Djibouti — has raised alarms about China’s military ambitions at a time when the United States’ presence in the region has waned. Known as the “string of pearls,” Beijing’s defense strategy would benefit from a jewel in Cambodia.

“Why would the Chinese show up in the middle of a jungle to build a runway?” said Sophal Ear, a political scientist at Occidental College in Los Angeles. “This will allow China to project its air power through the region, and it changes the whole game.”

www.nytimes.com...

This article has a better layout of the construction. www.mcc.sg...

www.youtube.com...
www.rfa.org...
Meanwhile, the China Harbour Engineering Company has agreed to build a deep-water port in Jamaica that will serve as a transshipment hub for giant Chinese container ships arriving through an expanded Panama Canal.

In the Bahamas, Chinese companies are developing port facilities along with a major casino and hotel complex. Work on the casino and a Baha Mar luxury hotel fell behind schedule and went into bankruptcy. But after much local criticism of shoddy construction and bad business practices, the project looks likely to be completed.

So what was the real reason why Obama fired many in the Pentagon for 8 years and the Clinton years.
I'll tell ya, the leaders of many countries were selling themselves out to the Chinese.
Americas leaders today are nothing more then Chinese slaves and that my fellow Americans is the fkn truth.

a reply to: musicismagic

Unfortunately many in the west think of China as a backward bunch of rice farmers...That ain't so, not anymore.. If there came a war China can out produce just about anyone on the planet at half the cost to their GDP.. That should be a concern for anyone who does not want to become an involuntary organ Donner or learn Mandarin Chinese. It may be to late to turn the tide which IMO is a shame to see so many fall under the yoke of the Chinese COMMUNIST Party. Just another name for thugs and mafia oriental style.

youtu.be...

I feel we are fun times under the sun, but we all will get burnt to the ground eventually. Just look at all the empty malls, fun times back then, but now, just cruise the streets of any downtown area. Make sure your doors are locked.


727, I believe you have much experience in China, for me just Japan. But we see the growth of China. Now if only they stop importing Alaskan bottled water, maybe China will slow down a bit.


Everyone knows the next big war will be of missiles and even North Korea knows it too.

This is where an alliance with Russia makes a lot of sense.

So pitiful, never seen so much COWARDICE from Americans when concerning the chinese.

Maybe it's because I am too much of a Nationalist, *shrugs* who knows.

However, a point of contention by one user in this thread,

Americas leaders today are nothing more then Chinese slaves and that my fellow Americans is the fkn truth.

I guess it's a good thing we have Trump and his iron fist approach to the red dragon, as seen by the trade war, which no other POTUS dared touch.

As for producing, you people acted like the WW never happened, when an entire American populace was engaged to combat a common enemy.

This is Americas true power and perhaps you people need a refresher?

originally posted by: muzzleflash
This is where an alliance with Russia makes a lot of sense.

THAT''S exactly why Globalists and their lackeys scream "RUSSIA!!!" who isn't an existential threat---and are extremely silent about their freedom-starving role model China.

Trump knew it was now or never on China and why he wanted a better working relationship with Russia. Deep State said hay-ul no---get ready for social credit scores!

Russia would prefer siding with us against China but has so far been forced to work more closely with the Chinese in war games and more.

Looking at the world map,
it is Indea who should do some thing.

US has been doing this a long time.

originally posted by: buddha
Looking at the world map,
it is India who should do something.

US has been doing this a long time.

as I unnerstand it India cannot even feed itself. its military has numbers and some tech but mostly paper tiger.
amazing how little influence they have in the world, considering population size.

thanks for info OP. this is the stuff our 'news media' should be talking about instead of orange-man-bad 24/7.

originally posted by: 727Sky
a reply to: musicismagic

Unfortunately many in the west think of China as a backward bunch of rice farmers...That ain't so, not anymore.. If there came a war China can out produce just about anyone on the planet at half the cost to their GDP.. That should be a concern for anyone who does not want to become an involuntary organ Donner or learn Mandarin Chinese. It may be to late to turn the tide which IMO is a shame to see so many fall under the yoke of the Chinese COMMUNIST Party. Just another name for thugs and mafia oriental style.

youtu.be...

These are the very same people buying the Democratic parties people to enforce gun control.

Cant imagine why.....

They might of got the idea from the American's 100's of bases around the planet.

Add this to the major fires that have hit strategic areas in America and Canada and it becomes a trail of breadcrumbs.

a reply to: one4all

You think China is starting fires in California to build airstrips?

Oh my.

Are they using satellites?

originally posted by: one4all
Add this to the major fires that have hit strategic areas in America and Canada and it becomes a trail of breadcrumbs.

Can you clarify that?

a reply to: ElGoobero

India is an interesting military. They have good equipment, and under the right conditions they're pretty well trained, but they're nowhere near ready to go long distance. In Cope India 04, they did surprisingly well against the USAF (even though they were seriously handicapped), but in 2008, when they came to Red Flag, they had some issues. But in Red Flag Alaska 16-1, they did really well with reliability and performance. In fact at that exercise, they had a 100% mission capable rate over a month long period.