The BGA Cambodia, led by Managing Director Bora Chhay wrote an update to clients on Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Cambodia.

Context

  • Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded his Southeast Asian tour with a state visit to Cambodia from April 17-18, following stops in Vietnam and Malaysia. The visit was undertaken at the invitation of King Norodom Sihamoni and planned months in advance, well before U.S. President Donald Trump’s April 2 reciprocal tariff announcement. This marks Xi’s second visit to Cambodia, with his first taking place nearly a decade ago in 2016. The king personally hosted a grand airport welcome ceremony in his honor.
  • Xi met with Cambodia’s top leaders, including the king, the queen mother, Senate President Hun Sen and Prime Minister Hun Manet. A total of 37 cooperation documents were signed, cementing the visit as a milestone in bilateral relations. The joint statement issued during the state visit highlights the agreements both countries reached.
     

Significance

  • Both sides emphasized the importance of high-level exchanges to strengthen their traditional friendship and strategic trust, committing to deeper institutional dialogue and cooperation, including between the ministries of foreign affairs and defense. They spoke highly of the current joint effort to foster warm relations and expand mutually beneficial cooperation in all fields.
  • Cambodia and China agreed to boost military cooperation through regular visits, trainings and joint exercises — such as emergency rescue, disaster relief and improvements in medical and logistical services — and law enforcement collaboration focused on cross-border crimes. China praised Cambodia’s efforts against online gambling and fraud.


Implications

  • Both sides praised each other’s achievements in development, trade and investment and committed to align the China’s Belt and Road Initiative with Cambodia’s Pentagonal Strategy. They agreed to strengthen industrial and supply chains, infrastructure development and economic zones like Sihanoukville and support enhanced trade cooperation through existing and future trade agreements.
  • Xi’s visit comes at a sensitive time amid escalating global trade tensions and ongoing Cambodia-U.S. trade negotiations following Trump administration’s imposition of a 49 percent reciprocal tariff April 2, which was soon after paused. While the visit may raise questions about Cambodia’s alignment, the government has taken parallel steps to signal neutrality, most notably by hosting Japanese naval vessels April 19 at the Ream Naval Base, newly upgraded by China. These developments, along with a virtual meeting between Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol and United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, April 16, suggest that Phnom Penh is seeking to actively manage its strategic partnerships and present itself as open and balanced, rather than aligning with any single power bloc.

We will continue to keep you updated on developments in Cambodia as they occur. If you have any comments or questions, please contact Cambodia Managing Director Bora Chhay at bchhay@bowergroupasia.com.

Best regards,

BGA Cambodia Team

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Managing Director

Bora leads BGA’s practice in Cambodia. He is a highly regarded government affairs and public policy expert who helps clients resolve business issues, navigate regulatory and legal challenges, expand operations, explore new investment opportunities and enter Cambodia’s market.  Prior to joining BGA, Bora served for five years as a fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) corporate and regulatory affairs professional. In this role, he helped transform his company’s government relations and corporate affairs unit into a more effective business-driven group. Notwithstanding Cambodia’s difficult and highly regulated macro environment, Bora played a key role in developing and executing government relations and corporate affairs ... Read More