Xi Pledges Security Partnership With Cambodia in Beijing
Chinese President Xi Jinping announced on Friday that China is willing to establish a security partnership with Cambodia, marking a significant escalation in bilateral ties between the two nations. The pledge came during a meeting with Cambodian People’s Party President and Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, where both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to deepening strategic cooperation across multiple fronts.
Meeting Details and Context
Hun Sen arrived in Beijing on June 25 for a three-day official goodwill visit at the invitation of the Communist Party of China. According to Xinhua News, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also attended the meeting. The visit follows a period of intensifying high-level exchanges, including Xi’s state visit to Cambodia in April 2025 and the inaugural meeting of the China-Cambodia “2+2” Strategic Dialogue Mechanism in Phnom Penh in April 2026.
Security Partnership and Telecom Fraud Crackdown
Xi outlined a four-point proposal for cooperation, emphasizing the need to strengthen strategic mutual trust, advance development through the Industrial Development Corridor and Fish and Rice Corridor, maintain long-term stability, and build a model of strategic coordination. “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 said, as reported by China Daily.
The focus on combating telecom fraud is particularly notable. Xi highly commended Cambodia’s determination to crack down on telecom and online fraud operations, many of which target Chinese citizens. Hun Sen acknowledged that combating telecom fraud is “a current priority for Cambodia” and expressed willingness to work closely with China to strengthen law enforcement cooperation.
Hun Sen Reaffirms One-China Principle
Hun Sen delivered a strong reaffirmation of Cambodia’s long-standing position on Taiwan. “Regardless of how the international situation evolves, Cambodia will continue to uphold its friendly policy toward China, firmly adhere to the one-China principle, and resolutely support all efforts made by China to achieve complete national reunification,” he said, according to ecns.cn. He also expressed Cambodia’s opposition to any form of “Taiwan independence” separatist activities.
Economic Cooperation and Belt and Road Alignment
The two leaders discussed deepening economic integration through the Industrial Development Corridor, which aims to transform the coastal city of Sihanoukville into a model multipurpose special economic zone, and the Fish and Rice Corridor, which focuses on developing modern ecological agriculture near Tonle Sap Lake. Cambodia expressed willingness to strengthen alignment of its “Pentagonal Strategy” with China’s Belt and Road Initiative and to fully unleash the potential of the China-Cambodia Free Trade Agreement.
Premier Li Qiang Meeting
On the same day, Premier Li Qiang also met with Hun Sen, with both sides vowing to strengthen bilateral cooperation across economic, security, defense, and cultural fields.
Analysis and Regional Implications
The announcement of a security partnership represents a significant evolution in China-Cambodia relations, moving beyond the traditional focus on economic cooperation into formal security arrangements. As Modern Diplomacy noted, this follows the establishment of the “2+2” Strategic Dialogue Mechanism in April 2026, which institutionalized defense and security coordination between the two countries.
China’s expanding security cooperation with Cambodia has potential implications for ASEAN unity, as Cambodia often represents China’s interests within the bloc, and for broader US-China competition in Southeast Asia. The partnership may also influence dynamics in the South China Sea, given Cambodia’s role in ASEAN decision-making.
What to Watch
Key questions remain about the specific form the security partnership will take, including whether it will encompass military basing rights or joint exercises. The response from other ASEAN members, particularly Vietnam and the Philippines, will be closely watched, as will the reaction from the United States and its allies. The implementation of concrete measures to combat telecom fraud and the progress of infrastructure projects under the Industrial Development and Fish and Rice Corridors will serve as key indicators of the partnership’s depth in the months ahead.