China's Premier Li Qiang met Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet in Beijing on
July 16 during the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference. Li said China
will push to deepen cooperation on the “Diamond Hexagon” initiative, an
Industrial Development Corridor and a Fish‑Rice Corridor, accelerate major
infrastructure projects and expand bilateral trade. Beijing supports more
capable Chinese firms investing in Cambodia and seeks to deepen ties in new
energy, artificial intelligence, the digital economy and advanced manufacturing
to foster new growth drivers. The two sides also pledged closer cooperation on
education, culture and media and joint action against online gambling and
telecom fraud. Li warned that this year's volatile international environment has
hit the global economy and called for closer China‑Cambodia coordination on
major issues to defend shared interests and uphold multilateral trade and
international justice.
