Cambodia: Police arrest man suspected of stabbing Chinese national in Sihanoukville Oct. 10

Event

Police arrested a man Oct. 16 who is suspected of stabbing a Chinese national in Sihanoukville Oct. 10. The incident occurred at approximately 04:20 in front of the Xihu Hotel; the suspect allegedly stabbed the Chinese national following a dispute. The victim was hospitalized following the attack. The suspect fled to Siem Reap after the stabbing occurred, where he was arrested.

Context

It is unclear if the Oct. 10 attack was influenced by anti-China sentiment. Despite some reports indicating that resentment towards China has grown in Cambodia since the outbreak of COVID-19 as well as the generally high threat of crime in Cambodia, crimes targeting Chinese citizens have been rare. A Chinese couple was killed in Phnom Penh and two Chinese nationals were shot in Sihanoukville; both incidents occurred in January. The exact motives for the crimes are unclear. Violence towards Chinese business and infrastructure operations in the country, including projects related to China's Belt and Road Initiative, has been minimal.