ACCWS signs memorandum of cooperation with Cambodian research institute

The Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies (ACCWS), affiliated with China International Communications Group (CICG), signed a memorandum of cooperation with the International Relations Institute of Cambodia (IRIC) of the Royal Academy of Cambodia on Oct. 27 during the 2026 Hehe Culture Forum in Taizhou, Zhejiang province.

The memorandum aims to establish a joint research center on contemporary China and Cambodia and further advance a knowledge sharing initiative.

Li Yafang, deputy editor-in-chief of CICG and president of ACCWS, met with a Cambodian delegation led by Kin Phea, director general of IRIC and an alternate member of the Royal Academy of Cambodia. The delegation also included Bunthang Chhort, deputy director general of IRIC. Li and Kin signed the memorandum on behalf of their respective institutions.

Li Yafang (R), deputy editor-in-chief of China International Communications Group (CICG) and president of the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies, meets with a Cambodian delegation led by Kin Phea (L), director general of the International Relations Institute of Cambodia of the Royal Academy of Cambodia and an alternate member of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, in Taizhou, Zhejiang province, Oct. 27, 2026. [Photo/CICG]

Li Yafang (L), deputy editor-in-chief of China International Communications Group (CICG) and president of the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies, and Kin Phea (R), director general of the International Relations Institute of Cambodia of the Royal Academy of Cambodia and an alternate member of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, sign a memorandum of cooperation in Taizhou, Zhejiang province, Oct. 27, 2026. [Photo/CICG]

Li said CICG and ACCWS both look forward to working with IRIC to strengthen research and knowledge sharing between Chinese and Cambodian think tanks. She proposed joint studies on China-Cambodia relations, regional development and cooperation, and global governance, through cross-border surveys and case studies. She also called for seminars, research publications, and youth exchanges to deepen mutual understanding and strengthen ties between the two countries.

Kin praised the Hehe forum's emphasis on harmony, cooperation, and mutual understanding, and expressed hope that the memorandum would lead to joint projects and tangible outcomes. He called for a sustained platform for knowledge sharing and academic exchange, through which the two institutions could deepen mutual understanding and contribute to stronger ties between Cambodia and China, as well as between ASEAN and China.