Renewed border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia are raising concerns across Southeast Asia,prompting diplomatic efforts to salvage a fragile ceasefire. Following a period of relative calm brokered by the United States in October, hostilities resumed earlier this month along the disputed 817-kilometer border, a legacy of french colonial mapping. Now,with a Chinese special envoy having met with leaders in both Phnom penh and Bangkok,international actors are attempting to de-escalate tensions and facilitate dialog between the neighboring nations.
아누틴 찬위라꾼 태국 총리(왼쪽)과 훈 마네트 캄보디아 총리가 10월 26일 쿠알라룸푸르에서 열린 아세안 정상회의에서 휴전 협정문을 함께 들고 있다. 도널드 트럼프 미국 중재로 성사된 이 휴전 협정은 최근 양국 무력 충돌 격화로 흐지부지됐다. /로이터연합뉴스
Beijing has dispatched a special envoy to both Cambodia and Thailand in an effort to mediate the ongoing border dispute between the two nations. The move comes as a fragile ceasefire, brokered earlier this year, appears to be unraveling amid renewed clashes.
According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Deng Xijun, the Asian Affairs Special Envoy, visited Cambodia from December 18 to December 23. During his visit, Deng met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, as well as the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of National Defense, and Commander of the Royal Cambodian Army.
Deng then traveled to Thailand, where he held meetings with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, the Minister of Defense, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The Chinese envoy urged both countries to prioritize an immediate ceasefire and resume dialogue to resolve the border dispute peacefully. He stated that China supports the mediation efforts of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and backs a significant role for the ASEAN Observer Team in monitoring the ceasefire.
“China is willing to create conditions and provide a platform for the two countries to resume dialogue and negotiations,” Deng added.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry reported that both Cambodia and Thailand reaffirmed their commitment to peace and expressed hope for a sustainable ceasefire. They also indicated their willingness to maintain close communication with China to de-escalate the situation and restore peace and stability to the Cambodia-Thailand border region.
China has denied allegations that it is favoring Cambodia in the dispute, a claim that has surfaced given Cambodia’s close ties to Beijing. Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke by phone with Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn and Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkaew on December 18, informing them of the envoy’s upcoming visit and urging them to “be wary of false information aimed at undermining the friendly relations between China and the two countries.”
Prior to China’s announcement, ASEAN convened a special meeting in Kuala Lumpur on December 22 to discuss ways to revive the ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia. The meeting brought together high-level representatives from both countries for the first time since fighting resumed on December 7.
The ongoing dispute centers on a roughly 817-kilometer border, originally mapped by France during its colonial rule of Cambodia in 1907. The exact demarcation of certain sections remains contested after more than a century of disagreement.
Tensions escalated in May with a series of minor skirmishes, which then escalated into full-blown armed conflict in July. Five days of fighting left 48 people dead and displaced over 300,000 civilians. While a ceasefire was brokered with U.S. mediation in October, hostilities resumed on December 7.
