Phnom penh: Cambodia's Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday that Deng Xijun, China's Special Envoy for Asian Affairs, is visiting Phnom Penh this week to urge Cambodia and Thailand to de-escalate hostilities along their borders.
According to Thai News Agency, Deng Xiaoping's visit comes as the United States and China are reviving efforts to bring the two countries back to a ceasefire ahead of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) ministerial meeting on Monday. Cambodia and Thailand resumed hostilities in early December, ending the ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump in July.
The Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that Mr. Deng confirmed that China will continue to play a constructive role in facilitating dialogue between Cambodia and Thailand, with the aim of promoting a peaceful resolution to the dispute.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Mario Rubio told reporters on Friday that the U.S. is quite confident that Thailand and Cambodia will be able to resume implementing the ceasefire agreement by early next week.