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China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Defense Minister Dong Jun are set to hold further meetings with Cambodian leaders on Thursday, following a “2+2” strategic dialogue that brings together foreign and defense chiefs to deepen political and security ties.
The visit, proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping during a state trip last year, is part of a wider regional tour that includes stops in Thailand and Myanmar.
The talks are seen as part of Beijing’s push to expand its influence in Southeast Asia, as U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff measures and ongoing standoff with Iran rattle the region.
China launched the ministerial-level format with Indonesia last year. It remains unclear whether Thailand – which clashed with Cambodia in a border dispute last year – will adopt a similar format when meetings begin on Friday.
Both sides agreed to expand the dialogue to a “3+3” format in future rounds, adding internal security officials, Cambodia’s foreign ministry said. The move would bring in Cambodia’s Interior Ministry and China’s Ministry of Public Security.
Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Seiha said the talks this week will deepen ties between the two countries, describing them as close strategic partners.
He said Cambodia would continue to broaden cooperation with China across “all fields” and reaffirmed its commitment to the One-China policy, under which it maintains no official diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
Cambodia is China’s closest political partner in the region, while China is its largest investor, aid donor and source of imports.
Seiha also said China had expressed support for Cambodia’s military by promoting cooperation and modernization efforts to strengthen its defense capabilities across maritime, land and air domains. Military gaps were highlighted during clashes with Thailand in July and December last year, particularly in air power.
The deepening defense ties have drawn scrutiny from the United States over a Chinese-backed upgrade of Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base, which some analysts and U.S. officials say could give Beijing a strategic foothold in the region. Phnom Penh denies the allegation and welcomed a U.S. Navy vessel to the base earlier this year.
The border dispute with Thailand was also discussed. Prime Minister Hun Manet briefed Wang Yi and Dong Jun on the issue, saying Cambodia’s position was to seek a peaceful resolution based on international law and existing bilateral agreements.
Sovinda Po, an international relations scholar at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, said the 2+2 platform should be taken seriously.
“The visit by Wang Yi and Dong Jun to Cambodia is a great opportunity for Cambodia to ask China to play a more constructive role, such as providing more humanitarian assistance to refugees, providing more arms and military training to Cambodian soldiers, and pressuring Thailand to curb its expansionist aspirations,” he said.
Bangkok has maintained that disputed border areas under its control are either frozen frontlines following a ceasefire or part of its territory. Phnom Penh has lodged protests, accusing Thai forces of encroachment as thousands of its civilians remain displaced.
Following the 2+2 meeting, Wang is scheduled on Thursday to hold individual talks with his Cambodian counterpart Prak Sokhonn on implementing existing cooperation frameworks and contributing to regional peace and stability.
He is also due to meet with longtime Cambodian leader and current Senate President Hun Sen sometime after.
No details of the meetings were immediately available from Cambodian officials, and the Chinese embassy in Phnom Penh did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
