China, Cambodia, Thailand hold joint meeting as ceasefire holds

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - China, Cambodia, and Thailand held a trilateral “informal” meeting in Shanghai on Wednesday amid the ongoing ceasefire between the two Southeast Asian nations.

Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong hosted officials and representatives from Cambodia and Thailand.

“Cambodia and Thailand reiterated to China their commitment to the ceasefire consensus,” a statement released from Beijing said.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced the "immediate and unconditional" ceasefire on Monday, following a meeting between Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai in Kuala Lumpur.

Chinese and US officials had attended the meeting in the Malaysian capital.

The armed conflict along the disputed border between the two countries resulted in the deaths of dozens of people, including soldiers.

Beijing said the Shanghai trilateral meeting was “held in a frank, friendly and harmonious atmosphere.”

“China continues to play a constructive role in supporting Cambodia and Thailand in peacefully resolving their border dispute,” said the statement.

Separately, Malaysian Defense Chief Gen. Mohd Nizam bin Hj Jaffar visited the Cambodia-Thailand border, according to an official statement by the Cambodian government.

Jaffar held meetings with Cambodian officials in Phnom Penh on Monday and later traveled to the border.

He “is conducting joint on-site assessments with senior military commanders from both countries,” said Cambodia’s Information Ministry.

The Malaysian defense chief announced an “immediate formation of two observation teams: one led by the Malaysian Defense Attache in Cambodia, and the other by the Malaysian Defense Attache in Thailand.”

Cambodia also rejected Thai accusations of ceasefire violations, emphasizing that it "remains firmly committed to preserving peace at all costs," while there are reports of some Cambodian soldiers in Thai custody.