China’s top diplomat Wang Yi called for the complete eradication of scam centres in Cambodia during a meeting with Prime Minister Hun Manet in Phnom Penh, according to Beijing’s foreign ministry.
Cambodia hosts dozens of scam centres with tens of thousands of people perpetrating online scams – some willingly and others trafficked – in a multibillion-dollar illicit industry, rights monitors say.
But under pressure from several nations, including China, Cambodian authorities say they are cracking down on the industry.
“Cross-border gambling and fraud endanger the lives and property of the people and must be resolutely cracked down on and completely eradicated,” Wang told Hun Manet, China’s foreign ministry said in a statement late Wednesday.
China and Cambodia maintain close trade, diplomatic and military ties.
Wang, who was accompanied by Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun, also underlined the two countries’ “unbreakable bond” during the meeting.
Hun Manet said in February that scam centres were destroying his country’s economy and giving the nation a bad name, vowing to “clean this out”.
He wrote on social media late Wednesday that he, Wang and Dong had discussed promoting cooperation in politics, trade and investment, national defence and security, clean energy, transportation infrastructure construction and agriculture.
Wang said he supported initiatives aimed at normalising relations between Cambodia and Thailand following deadly clashes last year along their shared border. — AFP
