SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia _ Ros Sitha was asleep with dozens of other construction workers on the unfinished second floor of the hotel they were building in the heart of this booming coastal city. The Chinese owners had let the workers live on site _ common practice in a city where nearly every block is under redevelopment.
Shortly before dawn, the 40-year-old was jolted awake by a loud crack from the floors above, then another.
Seconds later, the structure gave way, toppling to one side and trapping more than 50 workers beneath hunks of concrete and twisted metal.
More than two days later, Ros Sitha was the last of 26 survivors to be pulled to safety. At least 28 Cambodians were killed, making it the country's deadliest building disaster in decades.
For many Cambodians, the June 22 collapse and its aftermath were confirmation that their government cared more about courting Chinese investment than it did about them.
As Beijing expands its economic influence overseas, it has found few partners more willing than Cambodia's authoritarian President Hun Sen, who has ushered in Chinese state-owned companies to build roads, bridges, hydroelectric plants, industrial parks and a port.
Cambodia's strategic location, at the doorstep of the South China Sea, makes it a geopolitical prize, and Beijing's support _ backed by billions of dollars in loans _ has helped Hun Sen weather U.S. criticism of crackdowns against opposition parties, civil society groups and independent media that have made Cambodia effectively a one-party state.
Hun Sen's government has also looked the other way as private Chinese investors bought up property and built hotels, casinos and other businesses to cater to growing numbers of Chinese tourists. Experts believe many Chinese businessmen are using countries like Cambodia to park their wealth, hiding profits from Communist Party authorities and hedging against an economic slowdown at home.
Cambodian authorities have exercised little oversight of the building boom, which environmental and labor groups say has used underage and untrained workers, avoided safety inspections and damaged the environment.
"From the Chinese perspective, Cambodia is a wonderland of rapid development deals," said Bradley J. Murg, a Southeast Asia expert and professor at Seattle Pacific University. "But Cambodians fear they're becoming a dumping ground."
