According to a message on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on December 17, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to questions regarding the Asian Affairs Special Envoy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who will again visit Cambodia and Thailand to mediate the border conflict between the two countries.

Q: It is understood that tomorrow (December 18), the Asian Affairs Special Envoy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will again travel to Cambodia and Thailand to mediate the border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand. Can China introduce relevant situations?

A: As a friendly neighboring country and friend of Cambodia and Thailand, China has been highly concerned about the current border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand, and has continuously mediated, playing an active role in promoting de-escalation in its own way. The Asian Affairs Special Envoy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will again travel to Cambodia and Thailand on December 18 to mediate the border conflict, urging both sides to take mutual steps and quickly restore peace.

Screenshot from the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

On December 7 local time, a new round of conflict broke out between Thailand and Cambodia. Cambodia accused Thailand of attacking civilian infrastructure, while Thailand insisted that its actions targeted only military objectives. Since then, the border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia has continued to escalate, with the use of heavy weapons such as fighter jets and rocket launchers for cross-border air strikes and artillery bombardments.

Since May this year, there have been frequent border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia. In July, the border conflict between the two countries escalated into intense fighting lasting five days. In October, Thailand and Cambodia signed a joint declaration on border peace during the 47th ASEAN Summit.

On September 9, Chinese Foreign Ministry's Asian Affairs Special Envoy Deng Xijun exchanged views with representatives of Thailand, Cambodia, and Malaysia, the rotating chair of ASEAN, before attending the East Asia Cooperation Senior Officials' Meeting in Malaysia.

The Chinese side stated that as close friendly neighbors and a community with a shared future for Cambodia and Thailand, China has always maintained a fair and impartial position and mediated for peace and dialogue in a way that takes into account the comfort level of both sides since the border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand occurred. China is willing to continue playing a constructive role in achieving sustainable ceasefire and promoting the improvement of relations between Cambodia and Thailand. The three parties appreciated the efforts made by China in mediating the border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand and hope that China will continue to play a constructive role.

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Original: toutiao.com/article/7584963401504539146/

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