China said on Friday it is mediating between Thailand and Cambodia as deadly border clashes entered a second day, while Japan urged both sides to “exercise maximum restraint” and resolve the dispute through dialogue.
At least 16 people – 15 Thais and a Cambodian – have been killed since Thursday when cross-border airstrikes and rocket fire erupted along Cambodia’s Preah Vihear province and Thailand’s northeastern Ubon Ratchathani province. Dozens have been injured, and thousands displaced, as intermittent clashes continued.
Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi, in a phone call with Cambodian counterpart Prak Sokhonn, expressed hope that tensions “will be eased peacefully through dialogue,” according to a Japanese Foreign Ministry statement.
Prak conveyed Cambodia’s “desire for a swift return to normalcy.”
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said after speaking to Thai and Cambodian leaders Phumtham Wechayachai and Hun Manet that both sides showed willingness to de-escalate.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called the conflict “deeply distressing and concerning,” urging “calm and careful handling.”
Speaking in Beijing after meeting Association of Southeast Asian Nations Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn, Wang said: “The root of this issue lies in the legacy left by Western colonial powers.”
“As a mutual neighbor and friend to both Cambodia and Thailand, China is committed to maintaining an objective and impartial stance, and stands ready to play a constructive role in helping de-escalate tensions and restore stability,” Wang said.
He praised Anwar’s “active mediation efforts” and urged “dialogue and political resolution through the ASEAN way.”
China’s top UN envoy, Fu Cong, said Beijing is “mediating between the two sides, and we do hope that the situation can stabilize as soon as possible.”
The two Southeast Asian neighbors have accused each other of launching aggression along the disputed border. Tensions have risen since 28 May, when troops exchanged fire, killing a Cambodian soldier.
Cambodia has requested “urgent” intervention from the UN Security Council, which is set to meet Friday at 3 p.m. New York time (19:00 GMT).
South Korea and the Philippines also urged both sides to resolve the dispute peacefully. Cambodia and Thailand have downgraded diplomatic ties to their lowest level in decades.
U.S. has become a central outside power in the south caucasus, shaping diplomacy, security and energy flows. Its relations with Azerbaijan and Armenia...
Iran would retaliate by striking U.S. military bases across the Middle East if it comes under attack by American forces, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghc...
France and Canada opened new consulates in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, on Friday, stepping up their Arctic presence in a show of support for Denmark,...
A senior Russian military intelligence officer is recovering in hospital after being shot several times in Moscow, as investigators prepare to interro...
Russia launched a large-scale overnight attack on Ukraine’s energy system early on Saturday (7 January), hitting power generation and distribution f...
U.S. has become a central outside power in the south caucasus, shaping diplomacy, security and energy flows. Its relations with Azerbaijan and Armenia have evolved from similar beginnings into two distinct partnerships that now define Washington’s role in the region.
Iran would retaliate by striking U.S. military bases across the Middle East if it comes under attack by American forces, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday (7 January), stressing that such action should not be seen as targeting the countries hosting those bases.
France and Canada opened new consulates in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, on Friday, stepping up their Arctic presence in a show of support for Denmark, a NATO ally, amid renewed demands by U.S. President Donald Trump to acquire the strategically located territory.
Russia launched a large-scale overnight attack on Ukraine’s energy system early on Saturday (7 January), hitting power generation and distribution facilities with more than 400 drones and around 40 missiles, Ukrainian officials have said.
Winter weather has brought air travel in the German capital to a complete halt, stranding thousands of passengers as severe icing conditions make runways and aircraft unsafe for operation and force authorities to shut down one of Europe’s key transport hubs.
Storm Leonardo hit Spain and Portugal on Tuesday, forcing more than 11,000 people from their homes, as a man in Portugal died after his car was swept away by floodwaters and a second body was found in Malaga.
An attacker opened fire at the gates of a Shiite Muslim mosque in Islamabad on Friday before detonating a suicide bomb that killed at least 31 people in the deadliest assault of its kind in the capital in more than a decade.
Alphabet is emerging as a frontrunner in the global artificial intelligence race, as analysts and executives say Google has overtaken OpenAI, marking a sharp reversal from a year ago when the company was widely seen as lagging.
Using art as a quiet alarm, a new exhibition in Baku is drawing attention to endangered wildlife and the need for environmental responsibility.
France and Canada opened new consulates in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, on Friday, stepping up their Arctic presence in a show of support for Denmark, a NATO ally, amid renewed demands by U.S. President Donald Trump to acquire the strategically located territory.
Russia launched a large-scale overnight attack on Ukraine’s energy system early on Saturday (7 January), hitting power generation and distribution facilities with more than 400 drones and around 40 missiles, Ukrainian officials have said.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 7th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators have discussed an ambitious goal of reaching a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine by March, though the timeline is widely viewed as unrealistic due to deep disagreements over territory, according to multiple sources familiar with the talks.
At least 31 people have been killed and scores wounded in a suicide bombing at a mosque in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, during Friday prayers, prompting widespread international condemnation.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment