China is consolidating its dominant position in Cambodian trade, with more than half of all goods imported in 2025 coming from the Middle Kingdom, according to official data from the General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE).

Nearly half a million Cambodians have already made their way back to their villages, yet more than 159,000 people remain in limbo—caught between the fear of past fighting and the uncertainty of a lasting return along the border with Thailand.

The year 2026 is shaping up to be a historic milestone for the Kingdom of Cambodia, which will host the 20th Francophonie Summit for the first time, in Siem Reap in mid-November, thereby affirming its growing role within the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF).

Cambodia: international trade is charting a path toward a prosperous future, reaching a total volume of US$65.24 billion in 2025, an 18% increase compared with US$55.45 billion in 2024.

Announced in mid-January 2026 in Phnom Penh by Assistant Secretary of State Michael George DeSombre during his meeting with Prime Minister Hun Manet, this aid continues Donald Trump’s Indo-Pacific commitments, complementing broader pledges of 45 million dollars for Cambodia.

Le Premier ministre cambodgien Hun Manet a dévoilé, lors d'un discours solennel prononcé le 10 janvier 2026, un plan de relèvement en trois volets pour atténuer les retombées humanitaires et infrastructurelles du récent conflit à la frontière avec la Thaïlande.

On January 7, 2026, the provincial administration of Kampong Thom and Royal Group Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone Plc. signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch a feasibility study aimed at establishing an agro-industrial park in the province.

The National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) has ordered the immediate cessation of Prince Bank’s operations, triggering a liquidation process overseen by independent auditors, following the extradition of its founder, Sino-Cambodian billionaire Chen Zhi, to China on charges of large-scale cyber fraud.

According to the Business Ready (B-READY) 2025 survey published by the World Bank, Cambodia has established itself as the undisputed leader in ASEAN in the field of financial services.

Le 6 janvier 2026, dans une opération éclair menée par la police cambodgienne, Chen Zhi, fondateur et président du puissant groupe Prince, a été arrêté à Phnom Penh avant d'être extradé vers la Chine le lendemain, accompagné de deux autres suspects chinois, Xu Ji Liang et Shao Ji Hui.

While some French-language media outlets based in Thailand relayed— with enthusiasm seemingly outweighing fact-checking —the story of a “Cambodian casino” allegedly serving as an arms cache, the photographed scene tells a very different story.

Cambodia is taking a decisive step in its energy transition. By the end of 2026, the country is set to commission its first power plant fueled by liquefied natural gas (LNG), with an estimated capacity of 900 megawatts.

In a scandal shaking the fragile border peace, Thai soldiers looted shops and homes in Pursat, violating the ceasefire signed on December 27, 2025, between Bangkok and Phnom Penh.

The Cambodian Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MPTC) has reached a major milestone in the country’s digital transformation. On January 2, it unveiled TranslateKH 2.0, a free bidirectional Khmer–English translation application, now available on the Play Store, the App Store, and via the website www.translate.kh

Cambodia continues to strengthen its position at the heart of Asian trade. The Kingdom’s commercial exchanges with member countries of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) recorded strong growth during the first eleven months of 2025, reflecting deeper regional economic integration and the impressive vitality of Cambodia’s productive base.

On 27 December 2025 at noon, the Cambodian and Thai governments announced a bilateral ceasefire, the result of discussions by the 3rd Special General Border Committee (SGBC) — the joint military-diplomatic body tasked with managing border incidents.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia issued a firm statement on Friday denouncing new Thai military incursions onto Cambodian soil.

In the steep cliffs of the Dangrek Mountains in Preah Vihear province in northern Cambodia, there is far more than an ancient Khmer temple listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Beneath its rugged terrain, deposits of gold, iron, copper, and precious stones have fueled decades of desire and tension.

Cambodian imports from Thailand plunged by 35% between June and November 2025, reaching USD 1.25 billion compared to much higher levels the previous year.

It’s a breath of hope sweeping across the region today. After several weeks of deadly clashes around the disputed border between Cambodia and Thailand, the two countries have signed a new ceasefire agreement, effective since noon on 27 December 2025.

In a symbolic and practical gesture, the first shipment of Chinese humanitarian aid arrived Sunday in Cambodia, marking Beijing’s firm commitment to consolidating the fragile ceasefire between the Kingdom and Thailand.

The Thailand and Cambodia signed an immediate cease-fire on December 27, 2025 along their contested border, bringing a provisional end to three weeks of bloody confrontations that left at least 47 dead and nearly a million civilians displaced on both sides.

The UN has a comprehensive set of mediation mechanisms to intervene peacefully between Cambodia and Thailand, based on the United Nations Charter (Chapters VI and VII), in order to prevent the escalation of the 2025 border conflict around Preah Vihear and other disputed areas.

To answer a question posed by a reader, here are a few clarifications about the possibility and unlikelihood of seeing UN peacekeepers (Blue Helmets) in Cambodia. As a reminder, the border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand, revived in 2025, pits the two neighbors in a deadly escalation marked by artillery fire, air strikes, and thousands of displaced people