Cambodia, China to Hold First 2+2 Foreign and Defence Talks
Cambodia, China to Hold First 2+2 Foreign and Defence Talks
PHNOM PENH, April 21, 2026 — Cambodia and China will hold their first joint 2+2 strategic dialogue between foreign and defence ministers on April 22 in Phnom Penh, as the two close allies deepen cooperation on regional security and strategic affairs.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Defence Minister Dong Jun are scheduled to meet Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn and Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Tea Seiha, Cambodian officials said on Monday.
The new ministerial mechanism follows agreements reached during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Cambodia in April last year and reflects growing strategic alignment between the two countries.
Cambodian Foreign Ministry spokesman Chan Rattana said the talks would focus on defence cooperation and security issues, including combating human trafficking, narcotics trafficking and cybercrime.
The meeting comes as Cambodia and China continue expanding military, infrastructure and economic ties under what both governments describe as an “ironclad friendship”.
Chinese officials are also expected to hold courtesy meetings with Senate President Hun Sen and Prime Minister Hun Manet during the visit.
Analysts say the launch of a formal 2+2 format places Cambodia among a limited group of countries with which China maintains such high-level strategic coordination, underscoring Phnom Penh’s importance in Beijing’s Southeast Asia policy.
The talks are expected to be closely watched by regional observers amid rising geopolitical competition in the Indo-Pacific and growing concern over transnational crime networks in mainland Southeast Asia.
