Phnom Penh, Cambodia – China continues to be Cambodia’s foremost trading partner, largest investor, and primary aid provider. Beyond the significant economic advantages derived from this alliance, Cambodia also benefits from considerable geopolitical gains. These achievements are a testament to the robust relationship between the governments of both nations, particularly through their comprehensive strategic partnership, which has flourished over the past fifteen years.
However, this strong relationship faces a significant challenge. Mr. Kin Phea, President of the International Relations Institute of Cambodia at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, highlighted that online scam operations, predominantly perpetrated by Chinese nationals within Cambodian territory, have emerged as a ‘dark spot.’ This issue has severely disrupted the perceptions of Cambodian citizens towards Chinese nationals and, conversely, Chinese citizens towards Cambodians, indicating a lack of mutual understanding between the populations. According to Mr. Kin Phea, to effectively build stronger people-to-people relations, the governments of Cambodia and China must collaboratively and thoroughly eradicate online fraud.
Mr. Kin Phea emphasized the necessity for joint efforts, stating, ‘The governments of Cambodia and China must work together to clear these online scams to maintain security and safety for the people of both nations. Specifically, it is to restore our countries’ reputations, which requires collective efforts.’ He further elaborated that China’s international standing would also suffer if its citizens are found to be perpetrators of online fraud, just as Cambodia’s reputation is tarnished when criminals can operate such scams on its soil and evade justice.
Regarding the eradication of online scam offenses, Mr. Kin Phea urged both governments to demonstrate genuine political will and implement truly effective measures to address the root causes of the problem. He articulated his perspective forcefully: ‘We cannot just fan away the smoke; we must extinguish the fire! We need to trace the criminals to their origins, identify those behind them, and those directly involved in the criminal activities. Only by delving deep into the roots of this issue can we truly clear online scams from our territory and restore our nation’s image.’ He warned that without such decisive action, Cambodia risks continued international accusations, which could be exploited as a pretext for other unfavorable actions against the country.
Despite the challenges, Mr. Kin Phea believes that fostering closer ties between the Cambodian and Chinese populations requires sustained time and enhanced cooperation at all levels. This includes strengthening relationships between governments, private sectors, and crucially, between the people themselves. He suggested that restoring a positive mutual perception could be significantly aided by leveraging the role of various media platforms.
In a significant move, the Cambodian government, through the Ministry of Interior, has set April 2026 as the definitive deadline for eradicating all online scam operations from Cambodian territory. Mr. Touch Sokhak, Deputy Spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior, confirmed on the morning of February 4th that any provincial or municipal administration found to have active online scam locations after this April deadline will be held accountable directly by the government.
This firm stance follows recent widespread efforts. In January 2026, Cambodian authorities launched large-scale operations to crack down on technology-based fraud. These operations resulted in the closure of 190 suspected locations and the detention of 2,508 individuals representing seven different nationalities. The detainees included citizens from Nepal, China, Malaysia, Laos, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
During these comprehensive anti-online scam operations, specialized officers confiscated numerous pieces of evidence. Furthermore, over 110,000 foreign nationals have been expelled from the country, and 37 major cases have been referred to the courts for legal action, underscoring the government’s resolve to combat this pervasive issue.
