Beijing and former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen have expressed support for US President Donald Trump’s decision to suspend funding for Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Asia (RFA), and other government-supported media. China’s Foreign Ministry refrained from directly commenting on the executive order but remarked that these organizations had a “notorious” history in their coverage of China. Simultaneously, the state-run *Global Times* referred to VOA as a “lie factory” and claimed its closure was a “laughingstock of the times.”

Radio Free Asia has a history of reporting on sensitive issues in China, including alleged human rights violations in Xinjiang and Tibet, and the suppression of pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong. Its diverse programming features languages such as Tibetan, Uyghur, and Cantonese, providing alternative perspectives to those presented by the state-controlled Chinese media. The organization has also been critical of Hun Sen, who commended Trump’s decision as a brave step in the global battle against what he termed “fake news.”

The shutdown of these media outlets occurs amidst increasing tensions between China and the US regarding media operations, with China having previously expelled American journalists and mandatory foreign outlets to submit detailed information about their activities. For Cambodia, the defunding of RFA and VOA represents a triumph for a government frequently under scrutiny from these platforms.