Cambodia Courts AI and Tech Investment, Chinese Firms Show Interest

Prime Minister Hun Manet announced on July 21, 2026, that during his working visit to China, many Chinese companies expressed interest in investing in AI technology training, electrical component manufacturing, and agro-industry. Prime Minister Manet made these remarks while presiding over a graduation ceremony for students at South-East Asia University in Siem Reap. He emphasized that to keep pace with the rapid advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cambodia must learn to adapt and seize opportunities from AI for national development. "AI technology will be widely used in the future. If we do not seize the opportunity and derive benefits from it now, we will fall behind," the Prime Minister stated. He mentioned that during his working visit to China, he met with numerous Chinese companies and also met with South Korean companies the previous day. The majority of these companies are interested in investing in the agro-industry, electrical component manufacturing, and AI technology training sectors. Prime Minister Manet further elaborated, "If Cambodia does not have students or intellectuals with specialized knowledge, no one will invest in AI technology training. Similarly, they will not want to invest in agro-industry if our farmers are still plowing fields with oxen. Therefore, we must learn and adopt these technologies. This signifies that they see the potential in our human resources." These investment interests highlight the demand for human resources in the technology sector, underscoring the government's need to prioritize education and health, which he termed "social investment." The Prime Minister explained that a nation rich in knowledgeable and healthy human resources creates various employment opportunities and drives national economic growth. Source: CPP Cambodia