Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded his Southeast Asian tour with a two-day state visit to Cambodia, meeting key officials to strengthen bilateral ties and address trade concerns, particularly amid rising US tariffs.
Xi’s visit marks the end of his three-nation tour in the region, which also included Vietnam and Malaysia, aimed at reinforcing China’s relationships with Southeast Asia.
Upon arrival in Phnom Penh on Thursday, Xi was warmly welcomed by King Norodom Sihamoni. He is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Hun Manet and Senate President Hun Sen during his visit.
In a statement following his arrival aboard an Air China Boeing 747, Xi expressed his pleasure at being in Cambodia again. “Cambodia is a priority in China’s neighbourhood diplomacy. China will unswervingly support Cambodia in upholding strategic autonomy and in pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions,” he said.
Trade discussions are expected to be a focal point of the talks, as Cambodia faces some of the highest US tariff rates. Under US President Donald Trump’s administration, Cambodia faces a 10% universal tariff, with a potential 49% tariff on exports to the US set to be imposed once Trump’s 90-day pause expires.
Cambodia’s rapid growth in recent years has been largely fueled by China, which Prime Minister Manet has called “an important and indispensable friend” and a “first-class partner country.”
China has become Cambodia’s largest trading partner, with trade exceeding $15 billion (€13.2 billion) in 2024, accounting for nearly 30% of Cambodia’s total trade. However, the trade balance is heavily tilted in China’s favor.
Over the past decade, China has increased its influence in Southeast Asia, primarily through economic means. The visit also comes as Cambodia marks the 50th anniversary of the 1975 Khmer Rouge takeover, which led to a brutal reign of terror under Maoist policies.
The Khmer Rouge regime, led by Pol Pot, resulted in the genocide of between 1.5 and 2 million Cambodians, nearly a quarter of the population. China has been accused of supporting the Khmer Rouge, but Beijing has consistently denied any involvement, asserting that it does not interfere in other countries’ internal affairs, and the subject is rarely addressed in official discussions.
