Cambodia hopes for more Chinese support after alleged scam kingpin's extradition

Move reflects extent to which country finds itself backed into a corner in border conflict

- Philip Wen

Cambodia's extradition of alleged scam kingpin Chen Zhi to China reflects the extent to which Phnom Penh finds itself backed into a corner.

The protracted pummelling Cambodia has suffered in its recent border conflict with neighbouring Thailand serves to highlight the diplomatic repercussions for harbouring extensive transnational online fraud syndicates.

The 38-year-old Fujian-born businessman, who has extensive interests spanning real estate, consumer services and financial services through his Phnom Penh-based Prince Group, was arrested on Jan 6. Chen, who was naturalised as a Cambodian citizen in 2014, was extradited to China the following day, in response to a request from Beijing.

The timing of Chen's arrest and extradition coming hot on the heels of the ceasefire agreed between Cambodia and Thailand on Dec 27, 2025 - is likely no coincidence.

China has played a prominent role as mediator between the neighbours, including hosting tripartite talks in Yunnan province on Dec 29. And Beijing has made no secret of how curbing the drastic harm and financial losses its people suffer at the hands of Southeast Asia's industrial-scale scam operations typically masterminded by Chinese nationals - is a major agenda priority in its engagements with hot-spot countries like Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos.

Thailand, meanwhile, led by an electioneering prime minister wanting to be seen as tough on border matters, has partly framed the border conflict as a war on scams and made Cambodia's cooperation on the issue a key condition of the ceasefire, agreed upon after nearly three weeks of intense fighting.

"The timing certainly matters. Cambodia is currently facing heightened regional and domestic pressure, including setbacks in its confrontation with Thailand and a growing need for Chinese diplomatic backing," Mr Jacob Sims, a transnational crime expert and visiting fellow at Harvard University's Asia Center, told The Straits Times.