China has called on Thailand and Cambodia to prioritise an immediate ceasefire, resume dialogue, and resolve their long-standing border disputes through peaceful means, as deadly clashes along their shared frontier continue into a third week.
The two Southeast Asian neighbours have been exchanging rockets and artillery fire almost daily along their 817-kilometre land border since a truce brokered earlier by Malaysia, in its role as Asean chair, and former US president Donald Trump collapsed.
Beijing has since joined foreign ministers from the 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations in urging both sides to exercise restraint and take concrete steps to halt the fighting.
China’s Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that Beijing supports Asean-led mediation efforts and is prepared to once again help create conditions and provide a platform for dialogue and negotiations between Thailand and Cambodia. The ministry cited its Special Envoy for Asian Affairs, Deng Xijun.
Deng recently visited both countries as part of China’s shuttle diplomacy, holding talks with their prime ministers and other senior officials.
Thailand and Cambodia have since agreed to hold a meeting of defence officials on Wednesday aimed at reviving the ceasefire, a move welcomed by Asean.
China, which describes itself as a close neighbour and friend to both countries, said it has been working to facilitate a resolution “in its own way”, without reference to Trump’s earlier ceasefire initiative.
Trump has claimed the Thai-Cambodian conflict as one of several wars he helped stop globally, despite the renewed fighting.
In an editorial published on Monday, state-run China Daily said China’s balanced and constructive approach, coupled with the trust it enjoys in the region, positions it as a stabilising force capable of helping to de-escalate tensions, citing its role in brokering reconciliation between Iran and Saudi Arabia last year.
