(Reuters) - Students in their twenties sit behind old wooden desks in Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh, scribbling away as a teacher barks out phrases in a foreign language above the roar of motorcycles outside.
Unlike in most other countries in the region, the students at this private language school and others nearby are not learning English -- it's Chinese.
Along the street, signs with golden Chinese letters on newly painted red-and-yellow buildings offer cheap crash courses in Mandarin.
"Before, people came to this area to study English but now it's Chinese," said Gua Fa, a teacher and manager of the Ming Fa Chinese School. "The students all want to be tour guides, Chinese translators, or work in banks and restaurants."
It's another sign of China's growing influence in Cambodia, something that is upsetting the unity of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Analysis: China's sway over Cambodia tests Southeast Asian unity | Reuters
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