Cambodia, China Pledge Deeper Economic Ties at China-ASEAN Expo

NANNING, China (Sept.17, 2025) — Cambodia and China have pledged to deepen bilateral cooperation and expand economic ties, with a focus on boosting Chinese imports of Cambodian agricultural products under the Cambodia-China Free Trade Agreement.

The commitment was made during a high-level meeting between Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Vongsey Vissoth and Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on Sept. 16, held on the sidelines of the 22nd China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning.

Vice President Han praised Vissoth’s role in strengthening the China-Cambodia partnership, calling the two nations “ironclad friends.” He reaffirmed China’s support for Cambodia’s development and emphasized the importance of expanding cooperation across all sectors.

Vissoth congratulated China on hosting the expo, describing it as a vital platform for regional integration and digital collaboration. He also thanked China for its past humanitarian assistance and diplomatic support, including efforts to mediate ceasefire tensions between Cambodia and Thailand.

The two leaders reviewed recent high-level exchanges, including President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Cambodia in April and Prime Minister Hun Manet’s participation in the SCO+ Summit in August.

Vissoth said the visits reflect strong mutual commitment under the Diamond Cooperation Framework. He outlined priority areas for future collaboration, including politics, defense, trade, investment, education, tourism, and subnational partnerships. Cambodia also reaffirmed its support for the One-China policy and endorsed China’s global initiatives, including the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global AI Governance Initiative.

Both sides agreed to accelerate cooperation in infrastructure investment, expand agricultural trade, and strengthen people-to-people ties to benefit both countries and the broader region.

From January to July 2025, bilateral trade between Cambodia and China reached over USD 11 billion, marking a 26.1% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Despite the overall growth, Cambodia’s exports to China totaled USD 888 million, reflecting a decline of 8.9%, while imports from China surged to USD 10.11 billion, underscoring a significant trade imbalance.

Cambodia’s main exports to China include agricultural products, furniture, jewelry, and textiles, while imports largely consist of raw materials for manufacturing, consumer goods, vehicles, machinery, and electronics.

In 2024, total bilateral trade hit USD 15.18 billion, up 23.8% from 2023, with Cambodian exports valued at USD 1.75 billion and imports at USD 13.43 billion. Officials project trade volume to reach USD 15 billion by the end of 2025, driven by the Cambodia–China Free Trade Agreement and expanding infrastructure links.