Thai military aircraft bombed across the border, 8 warships entered combat positions, and Cambodia's Chinese-made warships are facing a big internal conflict?

The conflict at the Cambodia-Thailand border has entered its third day, with the situation escalating. Latest reports show that both sides have engaged in or are currently engaging in fire at 12 points along the border. On the 26th, Cambodia also accused the Thai military of deploying 8 warships along the Cambodian coast. According to the map (Figure 1), these warships might have sailed south from the coastal areas of Trat Province in Thailand.

Meanwhile, on the afternoon of the 26th, the Thai military once again deployed 4 fighter jets (2 F-16s and 2 Swedish-made Gripen jets) for cross-border bombing, presumably aiming to destroy the Cambodian army's artillery positions. One target was near the Tamokanto Temple, which is also where this border conflict initially broke out.

However, Cambodia did not mention the specific names of the 8 warships, so we cannot know whether any of them are "Made in China." According to public information, the Royal Thai Navy currently has 9 warships made in China, including one 071-class amphibious transport dock (with a displacement of 25,000 tons), as well as two 053H2G-class missile frigates, four Chao Phraya-class frigates, and two Beidai River-class patrol vessels.

Cambodia's Chinese-made warships are even more numerous, although their tonnage is smaller. According to public information, there are 2 056-class missile frigates, 15 fast patrol boats, and 1 landing ship. If the navies of Cambodia and Thailand go to war, we may see a "big internal conflict" between Chinese-made warships.

Certainly, these weapons were sold before the conflict began. On the 25th, a representative of the People's Liberation Army specifically had the assistant military attaché of the Thai embassy in China convey a message to its domestic authorities, emphasizing that after the fighting between Cambodia and Thailand, China did not provide a single bullet or a single weapon to Cambodia. Obviously, this is telling everyone that we are not taking sides, but will keep our word, uphold an impartial stance, and continue to promote dialogue and peace.

Escalation of Tensions Between Cambodia and Thailand

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1838706531420170/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.