China Rejects Japanese Report Alleging Kidney Transplant in Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, July 10, 2026 (KPT) – China’s ambassador to Cambodia has dismissed a Japanese newspaper report claiming a Chinese doctor performed a kidney transplant in Phnom Penh, calling the allegation “completely false.”

In a statement posted on Facebook this Friday, Ambassador Wang Wenbin said the Chinese Embassy had verified the matter with Preah Ket Mealea Hospital and was informed that no Chinese doctor had ever taken part in kidney transplant surgeries at the facility.

“The report is completely false,” Wang said, accusing Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun of publishing fake news.

The ambassador did not provide further details about the original article or specify the claims made by the newspaper.

The Yomiuri Shimbun report has not been independently verified, and Preah Ket Mealea Hospital has not publicly commented on the matter.

The denial comes amid heightened sensitivities over medical practices and foreign involvement in Cambodia’s health sector.

Analysts said the swift rejection reflects Beijing’s concern over reputational risks linked to allegations of unregulated medical procedures abroad.

Cambodia has in recent years sought to strengthen oversight of its health system, with authorities pledging to improve transparency and ensure compliance with international standards.