China’s special envoy for Asian affairs, Deng Xijun, visited Phnom Penh this week to urge Cambodia and Thailand to de-escalate their intensifying border clashes, Cambodia’s Foreign Ministry said on Saturday. The visit marks Beijing’s latest move to mediate the most serious fighting between the two Southeast Asian neighbours in recent years.
Deng’s trip comes as both China and the United States ramp up diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire ahead of a special Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting on Monday. The conflict has already claimed around 60 lives and displaced more than half a million people, following the collapse of a ceasefire that former U.S. President Donald Trump brokered in July.
Beijing’s Push for Calm
According to a statement from Cambodia’s Foreign Ministry, Deng reaffirmed Beijing’s intention to “continue playing a constructive role in facilitating dialogue between Cambodia and Thailand, with a view to promoting the peaceful settlement of disputes.” His visit follows a series of Chinese diplomatic calls earlier in the week aimed at pressing both sides to halt hostilities.
China has consistently presented itself as a neutral mediator in regional conflicts, emphasising stability and dialogue as essential to protecting economic and political interests in mainland Southeast Asia. Beijing’s involvement comes amid renewed U.S. engagement, highlighting growing competition between the two powers in shaping regional diplomacy.
Washington’s Renewed Engagement
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also weighed in on the situation, telling reporters on Friday that Washington was “cautiously optimistic” about the prospects of restoring peace. “We believe both Thailand and Cambodia can be back in compliance with the ceasefire by early next week,” Rubio said.
The United States has been pressing both sides to return to the truce agreed in July and to commit to dialogue at the upcoming ASEAN meeting in Kuala Lumpur. The meeting is expected to include the first direct talks between Thai and Cambodian foreign ministers since fighting resumed earlier this month.
Hopes Rest on ASEAN Mediation
The ASEAN session on Monday is viewed as a critical opportunity to stabilise the deteriorating situation. Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the current ASEAN chair, has expressed cautious optimism that the discussions will pave the way for a new ceasefire framework acceptable to both parties.
Despite diplomatic activity, sporadic clashes continue along the disputed border, underscoring the fragility of the situation and the urgency of effective regional mediation. Both Bangkok and Phnom Penh accuse each other of breaking the July truce and laying new landmines in contested zones, charges that each side denies.
As the humanitarian toll rises, regional and global powers appear united in one message: without immediate restraint, the conflict risks undermining not only bilateral relations but also ASEAN’s credibility as a stabilising force in Southeast Asia.
(with inputs from Reuters)
