China Proposes Security Partnership with Cambodia Amid Regional Tensions

On 26 June 2026 Chinese President Xi Jinping met Cambodian Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. During the talks Xi announced that China is willing to establish a security partnership with Cambodia, emphasizing joint efforts to eliminate “the chronic problem of telecom fraud.” The proposal was presented as part of a push to deepen strategic mutual trust between two nations.

Xi says China ready to establish security partnership with CambodiaChina’s Xi proposes security partnership with CambodiaChina, Cambodia Strengthen Security Partnership

The meeting follows a series of high-level exchanges that began with Chinese top diplomat Wang Yi’s visit to Phnom Penh in April, where foreign and defence ministers launched the China-Cambodia 2+2 Strategic Dialogue Mechanism. Hun Sen’s current three-day visit also included a meeting with Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee. Bilateral trade between China and Cambodia stood at $17.8 billion at the time of the visit, underscoring a substantial economic relationship.

China’s Xi proposes security partnership with CambodiaXi says China ready to establish security partnership with CambodiaChina, Cambodia Strengthen Security Partnership

• Xi Jinping – President of the People’s Republic of China, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, and chief architect of the proposed security partnership.

Xi says China ready to establish security partnership with Cambodia

• Samdech Techo Hun Sen – President of the Cambodian People’s Party, Senate President, and Cambodia’s principal interlocutor with Beijing.

Xi says China ready to establish security partnership with Cambodia

• Zhao Leji – Chairman of China’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee, who met Hun Sen during the visit.

China’s Xi proposes security partnership with Cambodia

• Wang Yi – China’s top diplomat whose April visit to Cambodia preceded the current dialogue.

China’s Xi proposes security partnership with Cambodia

Official figures cited by Xinhua indicate that bilateral trade between the two countries amounted to $17.8 billion, reflecting deep economic interdependence that accompanies the emerging security cooperation.

China, Cambodia Strengthen Security Partnership

Xi described the “changing international and regional environment” as a driver for closer cooperation to promote peace, stability, and development. He reaffirmed China’s support for Cambodia’s sovereignty and security, called Cambodia a “priority” in China’s neighbourhood diplomacy, and praised the Cambodian crackdown on cybercrime. Hun Sen’s itinerary, which included discussions on law-enforcement collaboration, signalled Cambodian receptivity to expanded security ties, though no detailed response was quoted.

China, Cambodia Strengthen Security PartnershipChina’s Xi proposes security partnership with CambodiaXi says China ready to establish security partnership with Cambodia

• “China is willing to establish a security partnership with Cambodia, and work with Cambodia to make sustained efforts to root out the chronic problem of telecom fraud,” — Xi Jinping, President of China

China’s Xi proposes security partnership with Cambodia

• “Xi made the remarks when meeting with Cambodian People's Party (CPP) President and Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen in Beijing, adding that China highly commends Cambodia's determination and actions to crack down on telecom and online fraud.” — Xi Jinping

Xi says China ready to establish security partnership with Cambodia

Both sides indicated that the 2+2 Strategic Dialogue will continue to serve as the main channel for expanding defence coordination, intelligence sharing, and joint law-enforcement operations. The source material suggests that the partnership could further embed Beijing’s strategic influence in Southeast Asia as regional geopolitical competition intensifies.

China, Cambodia Strengthen Security Partnership