Cambodia and China Pledge to Deepen All-Weather Partnership, Expand Cooperation

AKP Phnom Penh, July 17, 2026 -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet concluded a working visit to China from July 15-17, during which he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepening the "all-weather" Cambodia-China community with a shared future and expanding cooperation across political, economic, security, and people-to-people exchanges. During his visit, which included attending the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and the High-level Meeting on Global AI Governance, Samdech Thipadei paid a courtesy call on Chinese President Xi Jinping and held in-depth talks with Premier Li Qiang. According to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation released this evening, both sides pledged to effectively implement the important consensus reached by the two countries' leaders by advancing the "Diamond Cooperation Framework," aligning Cambodia's "Pentagonal Strategy" with the "Belt and Road" Initiative, and accelerating the "Industrial and Technological Corridor" and "Fish and Rice Corridor" initiatives. The two countries reaffirmed their firm support for each other's core interests. Prime Minister Hun Manet reiterated Cambodia's adherence to the One-China policy, while Chinese leaders reaffirmed support for Cambodia's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independent development path. On economic cooperation, China pledged to encourage more Chinese enterprises to invest in Cambodia and continue supporting key national development projects, including the Funan Techo Integrated Water Resources Management Project, infrastructure development, energy cooperation, and greater imports of Cambodian agricultural products. Both sides also agreed to maximize the benefits of existing trade agreements, including the Cambodia-China Free Trade Agreement, ASEAN-China Free Trade Area 3.0, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). The leaders also agreed to deepen cooperation in defence and security, with China commending Cambodia's efforts to combat online scams and supporting Cambodia's hosting of an international conference on combating cyber fraud later this year. Prime Minister Hun Manet reaffirmed that tackling transnational cybercrime remains one of the Royal Government's top priorities. The two sides further pledged to expand cooperation in education, culture, and people-to-people exchanges, with China continuing to provide scholarships for Cambodian students. Prime Minister Hun Manet also briefed the Chinese leadership on the latest developments regarding the Cambodia-Thailand border situation and expressed appreciation for China's constructive role in promoting dialogue, reducing tensions, supporting the ceasefire, facilitating a peaceful resolution of the border dispute, and providing humanitarian assistance to displaced Cambodians. Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet (L) and Chinese President H.E. Xi Jinping Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet (L) and Chinese Premier H.E. Li Qiang By C. Nika