Trending Now - China and Cambodia Hold Joint '2+2' Talks on Defense and Diplomacy

WHO:

AP News - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Defense Minister Dong Jun met with Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn and Defense Minister Tea Seiha.

AP News - Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen and Prime Minister Hun Manet were also involved in separate meetings with the Chinese ministers.

WHAT:

AP News - Cambodia and China held their first meeting of the “2+2” Strategic Dialogue Mechanism.

AP News - The bilateral trade between China and Cambodia reached $19.73 billion in 2025.

AP News - The completion of a new pier and a dry dock at Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base was reported last year.

WHERE:

AP News - The meetings took place in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

AP News - The Ream Naval Base is located on the Gulf of Thailand.

WHEN:

AP News - The “2+2” meeting occurred on Wednesday, April 20th, 2026.

AP News - The initiative for the “2+2” dialogue was proposed by President Xi Jinping during his state visit in April 2025.

AP News - The opening of the base expansion took place in April 2025.

WHY:

AP News - The purpose of the “2+2” dialogue is to deepen mutual political and security ties between Cambodia and China.

AP News - China aims to increase its sphere of influence in Southeast Asia.

HOW:

AP News - The “2+2” dialogue format was initiated by China at the ministerial level, first with Indonesia last year.

(UPDATED April 23, 2026 11:23 UTC)

on Monday, Cambodia and China held their inaugural “2+2” Strategic Dialogue Mechanism in Phnom Penh, featuring meetings between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Defense Minister Dong Jun with their Cambodian counterparts, as well as separate discussions with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen and Prime Minister Hun Manet. This initiative, proposed by President Xi Jinping during his state visit in on Monday25, aims to strengthen political and security ties between the two nations, which have seen bilateral trade reach nearly $20 billion last year. The dialogue follows the recent expansion of Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base, located on the Gulf of Thailand, highlighting China’s efforts to enhance its influence in Southeast Asia.