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Headlines:
Marcos Lands and Lines up Deals
Border Standoff Shifts to Diplomacy
China Promises More Aid, Energy Ties
Vietnam Corridor Widens, Trade Ramps Up
World Bank Funds Early Learning
Policy Turns Sharper on Data
Push for Rooftop Solar, Wind
Water, Natural Restoration Spending On the Rise
New Capital Airport Opens Tomorrow
IMF Trims Outlook, Flags Risks
Workers Push Wage Hike, Juggle Debt
Tourism Push Adds Flights, Payment Options
Marcos Lands and Lines up Deals
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. landed in Phnom Penh for a three-day state visit built around trade, air services, higher education, and joint efforts against transnational crime and human trafficking. Meetings with Senate President Hun Sen and Prime Minister Hun Manet were set alongside a business roundtable and outreach to Filipino workers, with Manila also looking for support for its 2026 ASEAN chairmanship. Manila says it is carefully watching a rise in scam hub cases involving Filipinos - the problem is apparently bad enough that they’re planning a migrant worker office in Cambodia to improve protection and support repatriation.
Read more: PCO (itinerary), PNA (deals), ABS-CBN (worker protection), Khmer Times (economic deals), PCO (arrival)
Border Standoff Shifts to Diplomacy
Phnom Penh said that it is sticking to July’s ceasefire and told Bangkok to stop putting up new fencing that Thai commanders insist is on Thai soil. Prime Minister Hun Manet is still looking for third-party oversight in talks with the UN chief and the Chinese president. Senate President Hun Sen asked Washington to keep an eye on Thai border activity and back an ASEAN oversight group. In Bangkok, new Thai Prime Minister Anutin said that the dispute is one of his first priorities and said there was no way he was going to be ceding any territory.
Read more: Khmer Times (ceasefire), The Cambodia Daily (mediation), Thai PBS World (fencing stance), Thai PBS World (new PM priorities), Khmer Times (US role), Thai PBS World (road block), Thai PBS World (IED claim), Pattaya Mail (troop morale), Khmer Times (press pause), The Star (returns), Khmer Times (detainees)
China Promises More Aid, Energy Ties
China promised about $2.8 million in humanitarian aid to rebuild border damage and confirmed that it continues to support ceasefire monitoring during Hun Manet’s visit for the SCO Plus Summit. Cambodia said that it made $145.7 million in repayments to China during the first half of the year. Beijing is still Cambodia’s biggest bilateral creditor. New AIIB loans lifted outstanding exposure to the bank over $200 million. Chinese companies represent more than half of all new investment by value this year. Power grid cooperation is also improving: China Southern Power Grid said it wants to work more closely with Cambodia to provide training for Cambodian engineers and better support the cross-border energy trade.
Read more: The Cambodia Daily (aid), Khmer Times (debt), Khmer Times (SCO), CamboJA News (FDI), Khmer Times (power ties)
Vietnam Corridor Widens, Trade Ramps Up
Leaders in Hanoi and Phnom Penh doubled down on a $20 billion trade goal, using political meetings to plan concrete next steps like an October opening of the Tân Nam–Meun Chey international checkpoint. Trade continues to move well in both directions: Vietnam’s coffee exports to Cambodia have been booming, and big buys of Cambodian corn, cassava, cashew, and soy are being made for processing in Vietnam.
Read more: Viet Nam News (coffee), Khmer Times (border crossing), VietnamPlus (meetings), Construction & Property (agri buys), Nhandan (trade goal)
World Bank Funds Early Learning
A $105 million package is planned to improve early childhood education and raise basic literacy/ numeracy rates for 1.7 million children. The Basic Education Improvement Project puts together a $100 million IDA credit and a $5 million grant to fund 60 public childcare centers, 60 preschool classes, and mentoring for about 38,000 teachers, as well as construction of more than 900 classrooms. The plan is intended to improve the quality of teaching, school management, and access to education in underserved areas.
Read more: Khmer Times (project scope), Cambodia Investment Review (funding)
Policy Turns Sharper on Data
A national forum backed by Australia and The Asia Foundation brought policymakers, researchers, and civil society together to try to promote more evidence-based decision-making. Senior officials said there’s a need for a better data supply and more studies on the smallest of businesses. The Health Minister said there is a need for more research tied to national priorities, more collaboration with regional institutions, and a stronger/ bolder/ braver ethics committee.
Read more: Kiripost (forum), Cambodia Investment Review (policy focus), Khmer Times (health research), Khmer Times (procurement)
Push for Rooftop Solar, Wind
Energy planners are leaning into rooftop solar and new utility-scale projects with an eye to getting 70% of electricity coming from renewables by 2030. The Electricity Authority has created a Renewable Energy Certificate system, and the Mines and Energy Ministry approved 23 projects worth more than $5 billion, including solar and wind farms. In Mondulkiri, six wind projects have been approved at 150 MW each. Challenges include tariff, land, and community pushback - opportunities include the chance to improve grid reliability.
Read more: Khmer Times (policy), Cambodia Investment Review (projects)
Water, Natural Restoration Spending On the Rise
A new €10.9 million Bakheng Water Project phase is expected to improve safe water access for about 10,000 families by 2031. The project is also going to set up a national training center for water operators, backed by an EU grant and scholarships for water studies. The Environment Ministry said 12 million cubic meters of wastewater were kept out of waterways this year thanks to better enforcement and automated monitoring. Conservation International, the UNDP, and the Environment Ministry also introduced an ecosystem restoration program that will run through the year 2030 in an attempt to revive 15,000 hectares of degraded land and improve management over a total 255,000 hectares.
Read more: Kiripost (Bakheng phase 3), Khmer Times (implementation), Khmer Times (wastewater), Khmer Times(restoration)
New Capital Airport Opens Tomorrow
Techo International Airport will finally open for operations on September 9; the formal inauguration will be on October 20. Interior Minister Sar Sokha took a walk-through to check on immigration readiness, passenger flows, checkpoints, and CCTV operations, then took the opportunity to celebrate the rising use of technology by the General Department of Immigration. Phnom Penh’s City Bus is launching an Airport Express with two routes running from 5:30 AM to 11:30 PM, connecting stops including Canadia Park, RULE, BRED Bank, and AEON Meanchey to the terminal.
Read more: Khmer Times (readiness), Khmer Times (bus routes)
IMF Trims Outlook, Flags Risks
The IMF is expecting growth to come in below 5% for 2025, down from last year’s 6% showing. It says that headwinds include risks from the ongoing border drama with Thailand, soft external demand, and stress on the financial sector as NPLs have risen above 7% in some segments. Investors are watching the US rate path; a Fed pivot could lift demand, but tariffs are expected to keep pressure on export prices. Regulators and banks are working together to improve financial literacy and to promote longer-term savings.
Read more: Cambodia Investment Review (IMF view), Khmer Times (Fed impact), Cambodia Investment Review(investor push), Cambodia Investment Review (inclusion)
Workers Push Wage Hike, Juggle Debt
Garment unions asked for a raise of the 2026 minimum wage from $208 to $232 (monthly), saying that higher living costs, heavy debt burdens, and reduced overtime are causing financial stress for workers. The dispute with Thailand has driven a large return of labor - a CDRI policy note says that poverty could rise to 50% for these households if unemployment doesn’t ease up. Reportedly, only about a fifth of 720,000 returnees had found jobs by late August. Many workers who are still in Thailand say they are staying put because of debts they owe to their employers and more visibility into future wages, weighing the risk of staying against the uncertainty of returning home.
Read more: Cambodia Investment Review (wage ask), CamboJA News (poverty risk), Khmer Times (placements), CamboJA News (debt-tradeoff)
Tourism Push Adds Flights, Payment Options
Visitor growth from China is picking up again under the 2025 Tourism Year banner. Angkor numbers are once again on the rise, and more direct flights are feeding Siem Reap’s new airport. Vietnam is giving away discounted booths at Ho Chi Minh City’s travel expo to try to bring more Cambodian exhibitors and increase demand for travel between the countries. On the ground, frictionless payments are still a big hassle for small merchants, so Mastercard’s “Pay Local” tie-up with the Bakong Tourist App which allows travelers to connect their cards with local wallets, is expected to be a boon.
Read more: Khmer Times (China flows), Travel and Tour World (expo discount), Cambodia Investment Review (payments)
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