China welcomes Cambodia-Thailand ceasefire, plans talks

BEIJING: China on Saturday welcomed a joint ceasefire statement signed by Cambodia and Thailand and said its foreign minister would meet his counterparts from both countries in China, according to a notice posted on the foreign ministry’s website late in the day.

Cambodia and Thailand agreed on Saturday to a second ceasefire in recent months, ending weeks of intense border clashes described as the worst fighting in years between the two Southeast Asian neighbours.

China’s foreign ministry said the agreement showed that dialogue and consultation were practical and effective ways to resolve complex disputes.

Thailand and Cambodia sign truce to halt fierce border conflict

Foreign Minister Wang Yi will meet Cambodian counterpart Prak Sokhonn and Thailand’s Sihasak Phuangketkeow in southwestern Yunnan province on December 28–29, the ministry said, adding that military representatives from all three countries would also attend.

China said it was willing to continue providing a platform and facilitating more substantive and detailed communication between Cambodia and Thailand.

“China will play a constructive role in its own way to help Cambodia and Thailand consolidate the ceasefire, resume exchanges, rebuild political mutual trust, achieve a turnaround in relations and maintain regional peace,” the ministry said.