Cambodia and Thailand tell China’s Wang Yi they’re willing to cease fire
Thai and Cambodian foreign ministers brief Chinese counterpart on border conflict, while Beijing vows to ‘serve as a bridge’
Cambodia and Thailand have expressed willingness to de-escalate and cease fire following recent border clashes, according to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, also the country’s deputy prime minister, and Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow made the comments in separate phone conversations with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday, according to the ministry.
The Thai and Cambodian foreign ministers briefed Wang about the latest developments in the border conflict.
Wang said that as “a friend and close neighbour to both countries”, China was distressed to see the severity of civilian casualties in the latest conflict, whose intensity had surpassed previous clashes.
“Continued escalation benefits neither side and undermines the solidarity of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). The immediate priority is to make a decisive move, cease hostilities as soon as possible, prevent further losses and rebuild mutual trust,” Wang said.
Also on Thursday, Beijing sent a special envoy to Thailand and Cambodia for peace mediation efforts.
“China will continue to serve as a bridge, playing a constructive role in facilitating the restoration of peace between Cambodia and Thailand,” Wang told his Thai and Cambodian counterparts, according to the ministry.
Risks of renewed conflict between Thailand and Cambodia rose last month after Bangkok suspended implementation of a peace agreement following a landmine blast that wounded two Thai soldiers near the border.
But a major escalation in the conflict unfolded earlier this month, as Thailand launched air strikes along the border, triggering retaliation from Cambodia. Both sides have accused each other of killing non-combatants and attacking civilian infrastructure.
The clashes have resulted in dozens of troop deaths on both sides.
On Thursday, Chinese Ministry of National Defence spokesman Jiang Bin responded to questions about reports that Thai forces had seized Chinese-made anti-tank missiles and rocket launchers from Cambodian positions during recent border clashes.
“China has long conducted defence cooperation, including arms trade, with both Cambodia and Thailand, which does not target any third party, fully complies with international law and practices, and is unrelated to the Cambodia-Thailand border conflict,” Jiang said.
Beijing’s latest mediation efforts follow a failed ceasefire push by Trump last week that did not stop the fighting, despite his calls with both countries.
Asean is also pushing for ceasefire talks led by Malaysia, the bloc’s rotating chair. Although no significant progress has been made, the Thai and Cambodian foreign ministers will attend an Asean foreign ministers’ meeting on December 22, according to Kuala Lumpur.
China has played a crucial role in mediation since the border clash in July, as Beijing has close relations with both Phnom Penh and Bangkok.
During the July conflict, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Asean Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn in Beijing. During their talks, Wang portrayed China as a non-colonial problem-solver and called the border dispute a legacy of Western colonisation. He also urged Asean to be the main mediator for the war.
The foreign ministry said in late July that China’s special envoy for Asian affairs had visited Thailand and Cambodia to promote talks for peace between the two sides, again without naming the diplomat.
The ministry later said a special envoy had visited the two countries in September, this time naming Deng.
Beijing has promoted negotiations through multilateral frameworks, including Asean and the United Nations, though its efforts have been largely overshadowed by Trump’s peace deal.
Chinese President Xi Jinping told Trump during their summit in Busan, South Korea at the end of October that “China has assisted Cambodia and Thailand in our own way to resolve the border dispute”.
Beijing holds crucial leverage over Cambodia and Thailand, while maintaining friendly relations with both.
Thailand, meanwhile, is a key partner of the US but also a major purchaser of Chinese weapons. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, China was Thailand’s biggest arms provider in 2024, accounting for 43 per cent of its total arms imports.
Thailand is reported to have used US-made weapons during the recent clashes, including F-16 fighter jets, although neither Bangkok nor Washington has officially confirmed the reports.
In February, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the Thai prime minister at the time, visited Beijing and met Xi.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet met Xi in China in August. During their meeting, Xi stressed that China “supports Cambodia in safeguarding national stability”, according to China’s foreign ministry.