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Cambodia

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Cambodia. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Phnom Penh

Head of State

King Norodom Sihamoni

Head of Government

Prime Minister Hun Manet

Containers at the Port of Long Beach in the US on May 20. Photo: Los Angeles Times/TNS

US-China trade war

Editorial | ‘Transshipment scam’ is not a global conspiracy but a warning to the US

The White House’s accusation that over 40 nations are involved in a shadow network that harms the US betrays a misunderstanding of how trade works.

20 Aug 2026 - 7:15AM

Palestinian Territories

Declining aid threatens landmine clearing efforts in Southeast Asia

19 Aug 2026 - 12:35PM

SCMP Highlights

How monarchies stay relevant; Pakistan’s new defence pact: 7 Asia highlights

18 Aug 2026 - 2:31PM

US-Asean relations

US transshipment ‘scam’ claims put Asean exporters in a bind

Analysts say a report accusing nine Southeast Asian nations of helping China skirt tariffs conflates cheating with legitimate trade.

18 Aug 2026 - 5:33PMvideocam

A container lifter is used to organise goods containers at a port in Jakarta, Indonesia. Photo: AP

Thailand

How Cambodian worker exodus exposes Thailand’s fragile labour model

An estimated 780,000 Cambodian workers have left Thailand since last year’s border conflicts, affecting a wide range of industries.

16 Aug 2026 - 12:00PMvideocam

Malaysia

How Southeast Asia’s monarchies stay relevant in a volatile region

The kings in Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and Brunei have to be attuned to societal or economic changes to survive, analysts say.

15 Aug 2026 - 10:00AM

Thailand

Why Thailand is eyeing BrahMos missiles to boost maritime defence

Analysts say BrahMos could boost Thailand’s deterrence at sea and give it more options as tensions with Cambodia persist.

13 Aug 2026 - 6:45PM

Indian-Russian BrahMos cruise missiles are on display at the International Maritime Defence Show Fleet-2026 in Kronstadt, outside St. Petersburg, Russia, in June. Photo: EPA

Asean

AI threatens nearly a quarter of Southeast Asia’s workforce but not all is lost

Being most exposed to AI does not mean that jobs would be replaced – just that some could move up the value chain or evolve, analysts say.

14 Aug 2026 - 5:23PMvideocam

Asean

US swaps ideology for ‘flexible realism’ and deterrence in Southeast Asia

Pentagon’s Colby urges allies to invest more in defence as Washington prioritises pragmatic Indo-Pacific partnerships over moral values.

11 Aug 2026 - 12:00PMvideocam

United States

US ‘digging in’ to Asia but seeks partners ‘not dependency’: Pentagon

Senior official Elbridge Colby tells Manila audience the US is committed to the Indo-Pacific but expects allies to invest in defence.

10 Aug 2026 - 6:07PMvideocam

The aircraft carrier USS George Washington patrols waters off the Korean peninsula. Photo: US Navy

US-China relations

US presses China over alleged scam bosses despite growing police cooperation

Washington says Trump raised the issue with Xi as the FBI expands cooperation with Chinese police on cyberfraud.

7 Aug 2026 - 10:00PMvideocam

Authorities say transnational cybercrime networks are becoming more sophisticated, with online scams costing victims billions of dollars each year. Photo: Getty Images

SCMP Highlights

Malaysian influencer controversy, Cambodia’s tourism slump: 7 Asia highlights

From Philippines’ army wanting more hackers to facial massage fighting dementia, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

4 Aug 2026 - 12:30PM

Scams and swindles

Letters | Cambodia should investigate those who enabled scam networks

Readers discuss how Cambodia can regain international credibility, and vigilance against fraudulent loans and transactions.

4 Aug 2026 - 4:19PM

Thailand

Thailand hits back at ‘inaccuracies’ in UN expert’s Cambodia findings

Bangkok says no efforts were made to verify the claims of UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews with Thai authorities.

3 Aug 2026 - 7:00PM

A concrete sign bearing the word “SIAM” is displayed at the base of a gate along a section of the border fence between Thailand and Cambodia in Pong Nam Ron district, Chanthaburi province, in Thailand on July. Photo: Reuters

2025 Cambodia-Thailand conflict

Asian Angle | Cambodia and Thailand must define the border to achieve lasting peace

Without boundary demarcation, all Cambodia-Thailand ceasefires are on borrowed time.

2 Aug 2026 - 12:30PMvideocam

Thailand

Cambodian jobseekers fear debt trap over Thailand’s border reinforcement

While Cambodia is becoming less reliant on Thai imports, its people in the western provinces are feeling the brunt of the border row.

31 Jul 2026 - 9:16PM

US-China relations

Xi Jinping meets foreign leaders: tracker, July 2026

Chinese President Xi Jinping has met more than 20 world leaders this year, reflecting Beijing’s increasing global influence.

31 Jul 2026 - 3:47PM

South China Sea

‘Negotiation fatigue’ risks stalling South China Sea code of conduct progress

Efforts to finalise the code between Asean and China this year are hampered to a large extent by differences between Manila and Beijing.

30 Jul 2026 - 4:25PMvideocam

Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Theresa Lazaro meets China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Pasay last Wednesday. Photo: EPA

Fame and celebrity

Meet AnnaLynne McCord, the millionaire actress who’s crowdfunding her wedding

The model and Days of Our Lives actress, who’s marrying ex-rugby star Danny Cipriani, has spoken publicly about surviving sexual assault.

29 Jul 2026 - 6:00PM

Asean

Asian scam gangs snare educated English speakers with fake job ads: UN agency

Victims from over 80 different countries are being trafficked into cross-border scams, the International Organisation for Migration says.

29 Jul 2026 - 12:30PMvideocam

Thailand

Cambodia’s tourism slump leaves Angkor Wat eerily quiet

Tourist arrivals have collapsed by nearly 50 per cent this year, forcing local operators to rethink Cambodia’s entire pitch.

28 Jul 2026 - 8:00AM

Restoration work is seen on a balustrade at the Angkor Wat temple complex in Siem Reap province, Cambodia, on July 20. Photo: ANA/Xinhua

Southeast Asia forced-labour scams

China charges alleged scam kingpin Chen Zhi with intentional injury: report

Extradited from Cambodia six months ago, Chen faces fresh count that could lead to the death penalty.

27 Jul 2026 - 7:00PMvideocam

Chen Zhi was sent back to China in January. Photo: Ministry of Public Security/AFP

Asean

Why new US tariffs threaten Trump government’s credibility in Asean

The additional duties come just a day after Marco Rubio tells Southeast Asian foreign ministers that the US is ‘with Asean 100 per cent’.

26 Jul 2026 - 11:30AMvideocam

Scams and swindles

Asian Angle | Cambodia’s war on scammers needs a blueprint built to last

Rounding up foot soldiers is easy. The hard part is tracing cash, exposing high-level enablers and protecting coerced victims.

25 Jul 2026 - 12:00PMvideocam

Japan

Japan’s overworked defence ministry plans first new bureau since 2007

The ‘long overdue’ move is expected to boost the defence ministry’s capacity to work more closely with allies and ease operational strain.

24 Jul 2026 - 4:00PM

Members of the Japanese Self-Defence Forces and US Marines during a joint live-fire drill as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita prefecture, Japan, on June 28. Photo: Reuters

Food and Drinks

The best guest shifts in Hong Kong and Macau amid Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2026

As the top 50 list is unveiled in Macau next Tuesday, rare guest shifts bring the region’s finest mixologists to the Four Seasons’ Argo, Green Room at Upper House and more.

24 Jul 2026 - 12:29PM

Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2026 is set to unveil the top 50 list on July 28. Photo: Handout

2025 Cambodia-Thailand conflict

Hun Manet vows to make Cambodia ‘not worth staying’ for scammers

Cambodia has come under significant international pressure over scam compounds, including from both the US and China.

24 Jul 2026 - 11:37AMvideocam

Belt and Road Initiative

China Unicom connects Hong Kong-Cambodia cable, widening undersea data network

The submarine cable project ties city with a high-speed data and information corridor running through Southeast Asia.

23 Jul 2026 - 6:17PM

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Cambodia

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Editorial | ‘Transshipment scam’ is not a global conspiracy but a warning to the US

The White House’s accusation that over 40 nations are involved in a shadow network that harms the US betrays a misunderstanding of how trade works.

Declining aid threatens landmine clearing efforts in Southeast Asia

How monarchies stay relevant; Pakistan’s new defence pact: 7 Asia highlights

US transshipment ‘scam’ claims put Asean exporters in a bind

Analysts say a report accusing nine Southeast Asian nations of helping China skirt tariffs conflates cheating with legitimate trade.

How Cambodian worker exodus exposes Thailand’s fragile labour model

An estimated 780,000 Cambodian workers have left Thailand since last year’s border conflicts, affecting a wide range of industries.

How Southeast Asia’s monarchies stay relevant in a volatile region

The kings in Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and Brunei have to be attuned to societal or economic changes to survive, analysts say.

Why Thailand is eyeing BrahMos missiles to boost maritime defence

Analysts say BrahMos could boost Thailand’s deterrence at sea and give it more options as tensions with Cambodia persist.

AI threatens nearly a quarter of Southeast Asia’s workforce but not all is lost

Being most exposed to AI does not mean that jobs would be replaced – just that some could move up the value chain or evolve, analysts say.

US swaps ideology for ‘flexible realism’ and deterrence in Southeast Asia

Pentagon’s Colby urges allies to invest more in defence as Washington prioritises pragmatic Indo-Pacific partnerships over moral values.

US ‘digging in’ to Asia but seeks partners ‘not dependency’: Pentagon

Senior official Elbridge Colby tells Manila audience the US is committed to the Indo-Pacific but expects allies to invest in defence.

US presses China over alleged scam bosses despite growing police cooperation

Washington says Trump raised the issue with Xi as the FBI expands cooperation with Chinese police on cyberfraud.

Malaysian influencer controversy, Cambodia’s tourism slump: 7 Asia highlights

From Philippines’ army wanting more hackers to facial massage fighting dementia, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

Letters | Cambodia should investigate those who enabled scam networks

Readers discuss how Cambodia can regain international credibility, and vigilance against fraudulent loans and transactions.

Thailand hits back at ‘inaccuracies’ in UN expert’s Cambodia findings

Bangkok says no efforts were made to verify the claims of UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews with Thai authorities.

Asian Angle | Cambodia and Thailand must define the border to achieve lasting peace

Without boundary demarcation, all Cambodia-Thailand ceasefires are on borrowed time.

Cambodian jobseekers fear debt trap over Thailand’s border reinforcement

While Cambodia is becoming less reliant on Thai imports, its people in the western provinces are feeling the brunt of the border row.

Xi Jinping meets foreign leaders: tracker, July 2026

Chinese President Xi Jinping has met more than 20 world leaders this year, reflecting Beijing’s increasing global influence.

‘Negotiation fatigue’ risks stalling South China Sea code of conduct progress

Efforts to finalise the code between Asean and China this year are hampered to a large extent by differences between Manila and Beijing.

Meet AnnaLynne McCord, the millionaire actress who’s crowdfunding her wedding

The model and Days of Our Lives actress, who’s marrying ex-rugby star Danny Cipriani, has spoken publicly about surviving sexual assault.

Asian scam gangs snare educated English speakers with fake job ads: UN agency

Victims from over 80 different countries are being trafficked into cross-border scams, the International Organisation for Migration says.

Cambodia’s tourism slump leaves Angkor Wat eerily quiet

Tourist arrivals have collapsed by nearly 50 per cent this year, forcing local operators to rethink Cambodia’s entire pitch.

China charges alleged scam kingpin Chen Zhi with intentional injury: report

Extradited from Cambodia six months ago, Chen faces fresh count that could lead to the death penalty.

Why new US tariffs threaten Trump government’s credibility in Asean

The additional duties come just a day after Marco Rubio tells Southeast Asian foreign ministers that the US is ‘with Asean 100 per cent’.

Asian Angle | Cambodia’s war on scammers needs a blueprint built to last

Rounding up foot soldiers is easy. The hard part is tracing cash, exposing high-level enablers and protecting coerced victims.

Japan’s overworked defence ministry plans first new bureau since 2007

The ‘long overdue’ move is expected to boost the defence ministry’s capacity to work more closely with allies and ease operational strain.

The best guest shifts in Hong Kong and Macau amid Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2026

As the top 50 list is unveiled in Macau next Tuesday, rare guest shifts bring the region’s finest mixologists to the Four Seasons’ Argo, Green Room at Upper House and more.

Hun Manet vows to make Cambodia ‘not worth staying’ for scammers

Cambodia has come under significant international pressure over scam compounds, including from both the US and China.

China Unicom connects Hong Kong-Cambodia cable, widening undersea data network

The submarine cable project ties city with a high-speed data and information corridor running through Southeast Asia.

Editorial | ‘Transshipment scam’ is not a global conspiracy but a warning to the US