China’s top diplomat Wang Yi is set to host the foreign ministers of Cambodia and Thailand to “consolidate” the new ceasefire deal between the Southeast Asian countries.
The trilateral gathering, to be held Sunday and Monday, marks Beijing’s latest effort to cement its role as an international mediator and secure a lasting peace deal in the deadly border clash between the two neighbours.
At Wang’s invitation, his Cambodian counterpart Prak Sokhonn and Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow will lead delegations to meet in the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan, according to the Chinese government on Saturday.
Advertisement
The announcement came hours after Phnom Penh and Bangkok signed a joint statement in which they agreed to an “immediate” ceasefire with effect from noon on Saturday local time, halting about three weeks of fighting that had spread to almost every border province on both sides, leaving at least 47 people dead and more than a million displaced.
The Chinese foreign ministry on Saturday stated that Beijing welcomed the truce reached between Thailand and Cambodia and was committed to helping the two neighbours engage in “fuller and more detailed communication”.
Advertisement
Representatives of the three countries’ militaries will also take part in the Yunnan talks from Sunday to Monday, the ministry said in a statement.