Thailand and Cambodia plan to rebuild mutual trust and gradually consolidate a ceasefire after weeks of border clashes, Beijing said in a communique with the two countries following talks in southwestern China.
Southeast Asian neighbors ended weeks of intense fighting on Saturday, which left at least 101 dead and more than half a million displaced, with their second ceasefire since late October.
Top diplomats from Thailand and Cambodia traveled to China’s Yunnan province for trilateral talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday and Monday to discuss the border situation.
In a meeting with his Thai and Cambodian counterparts, Wang called the ceasefire “a hard-won victory” and urged both nations not to abandon it halfway or allow fighting to resume.
“The trilateral talks were beneficial and constructive, and important consensus was reached,” Wang said, according to a statement issued by his ministry, which did not mention ASEAN’s role in facilitating the ceasefire.
The parties involved must “look ahead and move forward,” Wang added.
Thailand and Cambodia “will rebuild mutual political trust, achieve a radical change in relations, and maintain regional peace,” according to a joint statement published by China’s official news agency, Xinhua.
The latest round of clashes began earlier this month after the collapse of the ceasefire that US President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim helped broker at the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur to end a previous round of fighting.
“Implementing the ceasefire agreement requires continuous communication and consultation, and restoring bilateral relations must also proceed gradually,” Wang said on Monday.
Thai and Cambodian defense officials also participated in the talks in China.
Diplomats and defense officials from Thailand and Cambodia held several bilateral meetings, the Chinese foreign minister said, adding that both sides had in-depth talks and displayed a “positive and open attitude.”