HONG KONG (AP) — The foreign ministers of Cambodia and Thailand met with their Chinese counterparts Monday as Beijing’s government sought to play a stronger mediating role in a violent border dispute between the two Southeast Asian countries, building on its expanding presence in the global diplomatic arena.
The tripartite meeting in the southwestern Chinese province north of the disputed border came two days after Thailand and Cambodia signed a new ceasefire agreement to end weeks of fighting that has killed more than 100 people on both sides of the border and forced hundreds of thousands to be displaced.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has called for joint efforts to promote regional peace, stability and development, which is common language for China in this situation.
“Letting the flames of war rekindle is not what the people of the two countries want and China does not want to see as your friend. So we must move forward with determination,” Wang said at a meeting in Yunnan province on Monday.
The meeting is said to have taken place not in Beijing, China’s capital and seat of government, about 1,300 miles (2,500 km) northeast, but in Southeast Asia, close to the dispute.
He expressed hope for peace
Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhon expressed hope that the latest ceasefire would last and create an environment for both countries to work on their relations and resume previously agreed-upon ways to resolve their differences, a Chinese interpreter said.
Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangket Keo also expressed hope for peace with neighboring countries, the translator said.
The Thai Foreign Ministry later said in a statement that China had voluntarily acted as a platform to support peace between the two countries and reiterated that Thailand should adjust relations “on a step-by-step basis”.
“The Thai side will consider releasing the 18 soldiers after a 72-hour ceasefire observation period and request Cambodia to facilitate the return of Thais across the border,” the ministry said.
A day after the signing of the new agreement, Sihasak and Prak Sokhon held separate meetings with Wang on Sunday, the first day of the two-day meeting.
The meetings represented China’s latest efforts to strengthen its role as an international mediator, and particularly its influence on Asian regional crises. As China grows and grows as an economic and political power regionally and globally, Beijing has spent the past decade and more working to increase its voice as a third party in diplomatic affairs.
The controversy continues
The two Southeast Asian countries initially reached a ceasefire in July. It was brokered by Malaysia and pushed through under pressure from US President Donald Trump, who threatened to withhold trade privileges until Thailand and Cambodia agreed. An initial agreement was followed by a more detailed agreement in October.
But Thailand and Cambodia continued a bitter propaganda war, with minor, cross-border violence continuing. In early December, tensions escalated into a major battle.
Saturday’s agreement called for Thailand to repatriate 18 Cambodian soldiers captured from earlier fighting in July after a 72-hour ceasefire. Their release is the main demand of the Cambodian side.
The agreement calls on both sides to abide by international agreements against the deployment of land mines, a major concern of Thailand.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet issued a statement Monday to all Cambodian fighters on the border with Thailand.
“We can still fight,” he said, “being a small country, we cannot achieve anything by prolonging the fight.”
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Sofeng Cheang in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and Liu Zheng in Beijing contributed to this report.
