China's official WeChat account "Ministry of National Defense Release" reported on December 18 that the spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, Jiang Bin, answered questions from journalists regarding the negative public opinion related to China in the border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand.
Reporter: According to reports, recent border clashes occurred between the armies of Thailand and Cambodia, with Thai forces seizing Chinese-made anti-tank missiles, rocket launchers, and other equipment from Cambodian positions. What is China's comment on this?
Jiang Bin: China has long maintained defense cooperation with both Cambodia and Thailand, including military trade, which does not target any third party, fully complies with international law and practices, and has nothing to do with the border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand. We hope relevant parties will not make subjective speculations or malicious hype.
As a friendly neighboring country to both Cambodia and Thailand, China is highly concerned about the border conflict between the two countries and is deeply saddened by the casualties among the people of both countries caused by the conflict. We hope both sides, based on the common interests of the two countries' border peace and stability and the people of both countries, maintain the maximum degree of calm and restraint, quickly achieve a ceasefire, and return to the track of resolving differences through dialogue and consultation. China is and will continue to mediate and promote dialogue, playing a constructive role in promoting the ceasefire and rebuilding peace between Cambodia and Thailand.
Since December 7, intense clashes have broken out again in the border areas between Cambodia and Thailand. Both sides accused each other of "firing first."
According to previous statements by the Thai military, recently, there were Thai forces that seized weapons, reportedly belonging to the Cambodian army, including Chinese-made anti-tank missiles, which caused public attention.
However, on October 2, the Chinese Embassy in Thailand publicly stated on its Facebook page: Since the outbreak of the border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia, as a friendly neighbor of both countries, China has been actively easing the situation in its own way. China has not provided any military equipment to Cambodia for the Thailand-Cambodia border conflict. The military equipment currently possessed by Cambodia comes from existing Sino-Cambodian cooperation projects.
The Foreign Ministry spokesperson previously introduced that as a friendly neighbor and friend of Cambodia and Thailand, China is highly concerned about the current border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand, and continues to shuttle between the two sides, actively playing a role in easing the situation. The Special Representative for Asia Affairs of the Foreign Ministry once again visited Cambodia and Thailand on December 18 to mediate, urging both sides to move in the same direction and quickly restore peace.
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Original: toutiao.com/article/7585157998353220096/
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