US doesn’t expect China to join Thai-Cambodia ceasefire event, official says
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Both Thailand and Cambodia have accused each other of starting a clash early on July 24, 2025.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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WASHINGTON – China played a limited role in Thailand and Cambodia ceasefire talks and is not expected to participate in a possible weekend event in Malaysia marking the deal with US President Donald Trump, a senior US official said on Oct 24.
“From the US standpoint we actually don’t believe that China played a significant role – and really any kind of consequential role – in achieving the peace,” said the official. “I would not expect to see China participating.”
Meanwhile, Mr Trump is expected to witness the signing of a ceasefire deal between the South-east Asian nations on the sidelines of an Asean summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s foreign minister said last week.
Mr Trump is also expected to meet China’s Xi Jinping to discuss the country’s differences on trade on Oct 30 in South Korea.
On July 24, a Thai F-16 fighter jet bombed targets in Cambodia.
Both countries have since accused each other of starting the clash early on July 24.
The Thai-Cambodia conflict’s roots can be traced to longstanding disputes originating from colonial-period maps and treaties that defined the two countries’ shared border.
Relations between the two South-east Asian neighbours had generally been stable since a 2011 clash which led to the death of dozens, before the intense fight in July 2025. REUTERS
