To beat Cambodia’s scam gangs, US must work with China – not blame it

Cambodia has recently taken action against cyber scam operations within its borders, spurred by pressure from both the United States and China. In April 2024, Cambodia extradited Li Xiong, former chairman of Huione Group, to China for laundering millions from cyber scams. This followed the January extradition of Chen Zhi, accused of being a major scam kingpin. The US had previously sanctioned Huione's parent company, Prince Group, and indicted Chen. These actions are part of a larger cybercrime offensive in Southeast Asia, with Cambodia vowing to eradicate the scam industry by the end of April, having raided hundreds of locations and implemented stricter penalties. The success of these efforts highlights the potential benefits of cooperation between the US and China in combating transnational cybercrime.