Cambodia, Thailand say they will abide by ceasefire

Vice-Foreign Minister Sun Weidong met with representatives from Cambodia and Thailand on Wednesday in an informal trilateral consultation, a move seen as China's latest diplomatic effort to facilitate implementation of the ceasefire and create conditions for quickly restoring peace and stability.

The two Asian neighbors agreed to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, effective starting at midnight on Monday, at a meeting in Malaysia on Monday after days of fighting that saw at least 38 deaths, mostly of civilians, and displaced nearly 300,000 people.

But the ceasefire was quickly tested when Thailand's army accused Cambodia of launching attacks in multiple areas early Tuesday — claims that Cambodia rejected.

At the informal meeting in Shanghai, held in light of the tenuous ceasefire, both Cambodia and Thailand reaffirmed to China their commitment to abiding by the consensus of the ceasefire, and they said they appreciated China's positive role in de-escalating the situation, according to a readout issued by China's Foreign Ministry.

The readout noted that the meeting was held in a candid, friendly and harmonious atmosphere.

Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a news conference on Wednesday that China does not seek any selfish gains in the border clashes between Cambodia and Thailand, and it supports the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in facilitating a political settlement of the situation through the ASEAN way.

As their friendly neighbor, China has actively worked for de-escalation in its own way since the outbreak of the conflict along the border between Cambodia and Thailand, Guo noted.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi has met with his Cambodian and Thai counterparts as well as the secretary-general of ASEAN. The Foreign Ministry has maintained close communication with the two countries and passed on messages between them multiple times in light of the developments, he said, adding that the ministry's special envoy for Asian affairs also made two shuttle-diplomacy trips to promote peace talks between the two sides.

Beijing is willing to maintain close communication with countries in the region — specifically Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia — to play a constructive role in cementing the ceasefire agreement and restoring peace and stability at an early date, Guo said. China remains committed to implementing the Global Security Initiative and promoting the building of a model of security for Asia featuring common security, the seeking of common ground while shelving differences, he said.