Chinese Embassy Pledges to Combat Fake News to Protect Cambodia-China Friendship

The Chinese Embassy in Cambodia has expressed its firm commitment to combating fake news that attempts to undermine the strong relationship between the two countries. This commitment comes in response to the spread of rumors on the internet alleging that China-Cambodia relations are "deteriorating" and cooperation projects are being "hindered." Mr. JIANG NAN, First Secretary of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China to the Kingdom of Cambodia, stated that the new stage of the scientific and technological revolution is developing rapidly, and information technology has brought unprecedented opportunities for the economic and social development of all countries. He added that on the other hand, a large amount of fake news is spreading rapidly through social networks and new technologies, crossing national borders and language barriers, causing public misunderstanding, damaging social trust, and affecting relations between countries and regional cooperation. This has become a common challenge for the international community, including the Lancang-Mekong countries. "The Chinese Embassy in Cambodia is also firmly committed to combating fake news," emphasized Mr. Jiang Nan. "In the past, there have been rumors on the internet alleging that China-Cambodia relations are 'deteriorating' and cooperation projects are being 'hindered.'" In response, the embassy has established a special column under the theme 'Rumors and the Truth about China-Cambodia Relations' to help the public distinguish between fact and fiction. The embassy also regularly uses its official Facebook account to explain and refute fake news related to China and China-Cambodia relations. "We firmly believe that as long as we cooperate, we will be able to narrow the space for the spread of fake news and maintain a favorable environment for friendly cooperation between China and Cambodia," the Chinese Embassy official added. Furthermore, Mr. Jiang Nan stated that China has actively supported cooperation in combating fake news through a special fund for Lancang-Mekong cooperation. From the first stage to the second stage and the ongoing activities of the second stage, the Cambodian Ministry of Information has organized information exchanges, discussions with experts, public awareness activities, and other initiatives. These have helped professional news organizations and content creators strengthen fact-checking, enhance the public's ability to distinguish fake news, and promote exchanges and cooperation among Lancang-Mekong countries in combating fake news. "We are pleased to see that 'combating fake news' is becoming a broad consensus in Cambodian society and has been transformed into practical cooperation throughout the Lancang-Mekong region," said Mr. Jiang Nan. He noted that 2026 marks the one-year anniversary of President Xi Jinping's Global Governance Initiative, which calls for prioritizing stronger relations and cooperation in areas requiring urgent and deficient governance, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cyberspace, focusing on building consensus, achieving practical results, and obtaining initial outcomes. In response to cross-border and cross-sector challenges such as the spread of fake news, China is ready to continue working with Mekong countries to further strengthen information exchange and capacity building, as well as improve the mechanism for combating fake news. This aims to create a positive and favorable environment for building solidarity and cooperation among Lancang-Mekong countries, and to make a greater contribution from the Lancang-Mekong region to improving global governance. It is noteworthy that on September 17, 2026, the Cambodian Ministry of Information hosted a media forum on 'Combating Fake News and Competing for the Content Creator Award 2026' under the theme 'Combating Fake News and Promoting Information Integrity in the Mekong-Lancang Region' within the framework of Mekong-Lancang Cooperation. The event was presided over by Mr. Net Phathтра, Minister of Information, at the Sun & Moon Riverside Hotel in Phnom Penh. Source: CPP Cambodia