China and Cambodia to strengthen joint work against illegal online gambling
The two countries have signed a new agreement on efforts again online gambling among other crimes.
China.- A new agreement will see China and Cambodia strengthen ties to combat human trafficking, illegal online gambling and telecommunications scams. The announcement comes a week after China signed an agreement with Vietnam.
Cambodia has become a haven for cyber slavery, and traffickers from China have come under scrutiny from human rights groups for luring victims to the country. According to Bloomberg, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, who is in Cambodia for the ASEAN summit, has agreed with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to address the issue.
The leaders said they will “advance the fight against human trafficking, online gambling, telecommunications fraud and related derivative vicious crimes, and strengthen cooperation in law enforcement capacity building and intelligence and information exchange.”
They have also pledged to strengthen cooperation on infrastructure projects, trade and tourism. Direct flights are set to increase as Beijing seeks to expand its economic influence in the region.
In October, the provincial authorities of Preah Sihanouk ordered all casino operators to obtain approval from the Preah Sihanouk Administration before applying to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The measure aims to achieve more control of the gaming industry.
