In Cambodia, China feels extent, and limits, of its growing power

Phluk, Cambodia

THE thump of jackhammers and the whine of drills pierce the air, workmen in orange safety hats beaver away, and a massive concrete wall rises slowly above the river.

Here, in lush northeastern Cambodia, the US$800 million Lower Sesan 2 Dam stands as a potent symbol of China's growing reach, and Beijing's ambitious plans to expand its influence throughout Asia by building desperately needed infrastructure.

Nearly 5,000 people are likely to be evicted from their villages when the dam's reservoir fills, and almost 40,000 living along the banks of the Sesan and Srepok rivers stand to lose most of the fish they rely on for food, yet this dam project is part of a much-larger Chinese ambition. Chinese President Xi Jinping is making a bold move, billed as the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nati…