TOPIC

/ location

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

Troops from New Zealand, Philippines, the US and Australia pose with their national flags after taking part in live-fire exercises in the Philippines. Photo: Reuters

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

10 Aug 2026 - 6:07PMvideocam

US-China relations

US presses China over alleged scam bosses despite growing police cooperation

7 Aug 2026 - 10:00PMvideocam

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

A scene from the trailer for ‘Pulau’, which stars Siew Pui Yi. Photo: YouTube

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

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

Millionaire couple AnnaLynne McCord and Danny Cipriani have been exposed for crowdfunding their upcoming wedding. Photo: @theannalynnemccord/Instagram

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

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

An American Flag hangs from a crane at Port Liberty in Bayonne, New Jersey, on Friday. US President Donald Trump has slapped new tariffs on 60 trading partners. Photo: AFP

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

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

US-China relations

China’s cyberscam crackdown pushed syndicates to target Americans: analysts

Beijing curbed attacks on Chinese victims, but criminal networks shifted abroad as scams spread into a global industry.

23 Jul 2026 - 5:56AMvideocam

A UN report estimates victims of Asia-Pacific online scams lost up to US$114.1 billion last year. Photo: Getty Images

Indonesia

Indonesia’s AI ambitions test US-China balancing act

Analysts warn joining the new body could limit Indonesia’s access to US-made AI models and proprietary technology.

21 Jul 2026 - 6:41PMvideocam

Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto (left), who represented the country at the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on Thursday, with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Photo: Xinhua

Scams and swindles

Asia-Pacific cyberscam victims lost up to US$114 billion last year: UN

The losses from online scams, mostly investment fraud, are at least triple that from 2023, reflecting a ‘dramatic scaling’, the report says.

21 Jul 2026 - 12:30PMvideocam

Taiwan

Taiwan reviews PNG LNG imports after forced closure of economic office

The Pacific nation and Cambodia have both handed Beijing diplomatic wins by reiterating support for the one-China policy.

20 Jul 2026 - 8:00PMvideocam

The Philippines

‘Something beyond science’: Philippine school for exorcists draws Asia’s priests

A priest from the Saint Michael Centre for Spiritual Liberation and Exorcism says he can tell if cases are possessed by ‘a change in behaviour’.

27 Jul 2026 - 3:27PM

A man watching a footage of a woman being exorcised, in Makati, Metro Manila. Photo: AFP

2025 Cambodia-Thailand conflict

Chinese leader Xi Jinping urges Thailand and Cambodia to settle border dispute

President Xi Jinping has offered to play a ‘constructive role’ in reaching a solution, saying it would be in both sides’ long-term interests.

18 Jul 2026 - 8:38PMvideocam

A fragile ceasefire has been in place since late December 2025. Photo: AFP

Asean

Opinion | Southeast Asia must write its own trade rules for China’s ‘flying geese’

As Chinese manufacturers migrate south, Asean has the leverage to dictate terms on local sourcing and skills training.

18 Jul 2026 - 12:00PM

Artificial intelligence

Xi Jinping warns against creating ‘new historical injustices’ in AI era

Chinese leader’s presence at World AI Conference signals Beijing’s push to elevate AI from tech priority to pillar of geopolitical strategy.

17 Jul 2026 - 4:16PMvideocam

Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.

SUPPORT NOW

Cambodia

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

US presses China over alleged scam bosses despite growing police cooperation

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.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}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.

China’s cyberscam crackdown pushed syndicates to target Americans: analysts

Beijing curbed attacks on Chinese victims, but criminal networks shifted abroad as scams spread into a global industry.

Indonesia’s AI ambitions test US-China balancing act

Analysts warn joining the new body could limit Indonesia’s access to US-made AI models and proprietary technology.

Asia-Pacific cyberscam victims lost up to US$114 billion last year: UN

The losses from online scams, mostly investment fraud, are at least triple that from 2023, reflecting a ‘dramatic scaling’, the report says.

Taiwan reviews PNG LNG imports after forced closure of economic office

The Pacific nation and Cambodia have both handed Beijing diplomatic wins by reiterating support for the one-China policy.

‘Something beyond science’: Philippine school for exorcists draws Asia’s priests

A priest from the Saint Michael Centre for Spiritual Liberation and Exorcism says he can tell if cases are possessed by ‘a change in behaviour’.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping urges Thailand and Cambodia to settle border dispute

President Xi Jinping has offered to play a ‘constructive role’ in reaching a solution, saying it would be in both sides’ long-term interests.

Opinion | Southeast Asia must write its own trade rules for China’s ‘flying geese’

As Chinese manufacturers migrate south, Asean has the leverage to dictate terms on local sourcing and skills training.

Xi Jinping warns against creating ‘new historical injustices’ in AI era

Chinese leader’s presence at World AI Conference signals Beijing’s push to elevate AI from tech priority to pillar of geopolitical strategy.

Letters | Cambodia should investigate those who enabled scam networks