China supports Thailand-Cambodia reconciliation, offers help
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Thailand and Cambodia have been on a conflict footing since the killing of a Cambodian soldier in a skirmish late in May.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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BEIJING – China expressed support for Thailand and Cambodia in resolving their border dispute and offered to provide assistance based on the wishes of both nations, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Aug 14.
Mr Wang said China supports the South-east Asian countries in strengthening dialogue, and hopes they rebuild mutual trust and restore friendship, according to two statements from his ministry.
He met his Thai and Cambodian counterparts separately during the day but also convened a three-way conversation on the sidelines of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in China’s south-western Yunnan province, readouts of the meetings showed.
In their “friendly and candid communication”, Mr Wang said China hopes that the two countries can reopen border crossings as soon as possible, a Chinese foreign ministry statement said.
China also promised support and assistance for landmine clearance in the border areas of Cambodia and Thailand, and the three ministers agreed to continue communication in a “flexible manner”, the Chinese statement added.
Thailand and Cambodia have wrangled for decades over border territory and have been on a conflict footing since the killing of a Cambodian soldier in a skirmish late in May.
Clashes had turned deadly in the worst fighting in more than a decade before a ceasefire was struck in late July
Mr Wang spoke about China’s readiness to accelerate the China-Thailand railway construction, encourage more investments from Chinese enterprises in Thailand, and to ensure the stability of regional production and supply chain.
It is hoped that Thailand will provide more policy support and facilitation for Chinese enterprises, he told Thailand’s Mr Maris Sangiampongsa.
In his meeting with Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, Mr Wang sounded support for Cambodia maintaining political stability, and said China is appreciative of the country’s crackdown on online gambling and wire fraud.
He also expressed hopes that Cambodia will continue strong measures for joint efforts in the region against cross-border criminal activities.
For years, criminal networks have trafficked hundreds of thousands of people to scam compounds across South-east Asia, including many along the Thai-Myanmar border, where victims are forced to work in illegal online schemes, according to the United Nations.
China in 2025 has stepped up efforts with the region to stymie the scam operations after cases involving Chinese victims blew up on domestic social media. REUTERS
