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.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Moscow does not seek a war with European powers, but is ready to fight if Europe chooses confron...
Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Yalchin Rafiyev says COP31 in Türkiye will strengthen regional climate cooperation, with Baku ready to share i...
President Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday approved a migrant repatriation flight from the United Sates days after Caracas said comments by U.S. President Do...
The FIFA Arab Cup 2025 has officially kicked off, bringing together 16 national teams from across the Arab world in a celebration of culture, competit...
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that he expects to hear from U.S. negotiators soon after they conclude their meetings in Mosco...
Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon has held an emergency meeting with the country’s security leadership following the death of five people at the Tajik Afghan border.
Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has introduced its newest model, DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale, claiming it can perform some tasks as well as the latest models from Google DeepMind and OpenAI.
NATO Chief Mark Rutte repeated on Tuesday that the consensus needed for Ukraine to join the alliance is not there at the moment.
Belgian police have raided the EU’s diplomatic service and the College of Europe as part of a corruption probe into an EU-funded training academy for diplomats, detaining three suspects and searching multiple premises, according to Politico.
A four-part docuseries executive produced by Curtis '50 cent' Jackson and directed by Alexandria Stapleton on Netflix is at the centre of controversy online.
Security concerns across Central Asia have intensified rapidly after officials in Dushanbe reported a series of lethal incursions originating from Afghan soil, marking a significant escalation in border violence.
Moscow and Kyiv painted very different pictures of the battlefield on Sunday, each insisting momentum was on their side as the fighting around Pokrovsk intensified.
Russia has claimed a decisive breakthrough in the nearly four-year war, with the Kremlin announcing the total capture of the key logistics hub of Pokrovsk just hours before United States mediators were due to arrive in Moscow.
U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed on Sunday that he had spoken with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, but did not provide details on what the two leaders discussed.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Moscow does not seek a war with European powers, but is ready to fight if Europe chooses confrontation.
President Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday approved a migrant repatriation flight from the United Sates days after Caracas said comments by U.S. President Donald Trump had effectively halted the programme.
The FIFA Arab Cup 2025 has officially kicked off, bringing together 16 national teams from across the Arab world in a celebration of culture, competition, and football unity.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that he expects to hear from U.S. negotiators soon after they conclude their meetings in Moscow, where discussions are focused on advancing a potential peace deal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Global arms revenues hit a record 679 billion dollars in 2024, reflecting a sweeping rearmament drive across major powers and rising military pressures from Europe to the Middle East.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment