Cambodia and China's Yunnan Province Discuss Implementation of Media Cooperation MoU

Cambodia's Ministry of Information and the Propaganda Department of China's Yunnan Province held a bilateral meeting on July 14, 2026, to discuss enhancing the implementation of their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on media cooperation, signed in December 2024. The Cambodian delegation was led by Prak Thavomida, Undersecretary of State of the Ministry of Information, while the Chinese side was represented by Zhu Yan, Standing Committee Member and Head of the Propaganda Department of the Yunnan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, along with other officials. In his remarks, Mr. Prak Thavomida expressed his profound gratitude to the Yunnan Provincial Propaganda Department for its continuous attention, support, and excellent cooperation with the Ministry of Information. He highlighted the importance of this collaboration in strengthening Cambodia-China friendship, facilitating information exchange, promoting tourism and culture, and fostering mutual understanding between the peoples of both countries. He stressed that this cooperation is a vital component in building public understanding, trust, and support, and in showcasing the achievements of bilateral cooperation. Mr. Thavomida further explained that the MoU signed in December 2024 aims to promote timely and high-quality information exchange between Cambodia and China, particularly with Yunnan Province. It also focuses on capacity building for human resources, experience sharing, and support for cooperation between technical units under the purview of both parties. To transform the MoU from a policy document into active implementation, the Ministry of Information has prepared a project proposal for Yunnan's review and discussion. This proposal is considered a roadmap for realizing tangible and measurable results from the MoU, benefiting the people of both sides. The Cambodian proposal outlines four key components: 1) Exchange visits and cooperation between media organizations to provide opportunities for journalists, managers, and technicians from both sides to study, exchange experiences, and build practical working relationships; 2) Training for journalists, program producers, and technical officials, especially in modern content production, multi-platform dissemination, fact-checking, and timely response to fake news; 3) Development of Cambodian media, particularly the modernization of the AM broadcasting system of the National Radio of Cambodia; and 4) Joint production and exchange of news content and programs to promote Cambodia-China friendship, Cambodia-Yunnan cooperation, economic potential, culture, tourism, and development achievements of both parties. Among these components, the Ministry of Information places particular emphasis on modernizing the AM broadcasting system of the National Radio of Cambodia. Mr. Thavomida stated that the National Radio of Cambodia is a crucial public broadcasting channel for the government, responsible for disseminating official information, public education, cultural promotion, conveying important government messages, and serving citizens nationwide. He affirmed that despite the rapid advancement of digital technology, AM broadcasting remains vital for rural, remote, border areas, and emergency situations such as natural disasters, social crises, or urgent government announcements. Therefore, modernizing this system is not merely a technical improvement but an enhancement of the state's public broadcasting capacity, serving the interests of the people and strengthening the resilience of the national information system. In this regard, the Ministry of Information has requested that the Yunnan side consider supporting the dispatch of technical expert teams to assess the National Radio of Cambodia's AM system, provide technical assistance and recommendations for system design, explore the possibility of supplying AM transmitters and related equipment, and facilitate training for engineers and technical officials in Cambodia or Yunnan. Concurrently, the Ministry of Information requested continued cooperation from the Chinese side in content exchange for radio programs, cultural programs, joint program production, dissemination of Cambodia-China achievements, capacity building for combating fake news, and the development of joint technological tools for fact-checking and monitoring fake news. Responding to the proposal, Ms. Zhu Yan expressed her support, evaluating the project as having clear objectives aligned with the spirit and goals of the MoU. She affirmed Yunnan's readiness to continue coordinating and exploring feasible support for cooperative activities that meet the needs of the Cambodian Ministry of Information. Ms. Zhu Yan urged the relevant expert units from both sides to engage in detailed discussions to identify priority activities, develop implementation plans, and establish clear schedules. This would ensure that the MoU is not just a framework document but is translated into concrete programs, projects, and activities that yield effective and tangible benefits for both parties. Through this meeting, both sides aim to define practical implementation directions to transform the December 2024 MoU into actual practice and achieve concrete results. These outcomes are expected to contribute to improving the quality and stability of the National Radio of Cambodia's broadcasts, expanding its reach to rural and remote areas, building the capacity of technical officials and journalists, fostering joint Cambodia-China program production, and enhancing mutual understanding between the peoples of both nations. Both sides expressed a shared commitment to advancing Cambodia-China cooperation in the information and media sector to be more practical, effective, and responsive to the development needs of public media in the digital age. By: Kong Sreyrath © All rights reserved by Agence Kampuchea Presse 2018