Beijing, Dec 18 (EFE).- China has dispatched a special envoy to Thailand and Cambodia in an effort to ease tensions after days of deadly border clashes that have left more than 50 people dead.
Deng Xijun, the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s special envoy for Asian affairs, began a visit to both countries Thursday to seek common ground following the recent escalation, a spokesperson for the ministry said.
“He will carry out mediation efforts to help restore peace as soon as possible,” the spokesperson said in a statement, adding that China, “as a neighbor and friend of both Cambodia and Thailand, is closely monitoring the situation and actively working toward de-escalation.”
The armed conflict between Thai and Cambodian forces along their shared border has killed at least 52 people, surpassing the death toll from a similar July confrontation, which killed 50.
The current wave of cross-border attacks began on Dec. 7 and has now entered its 11th day. Both sides accuse each other of triggering the violence, whose precise cause remains unclear. The July clashes lasted five days and ended after mediation by several countries, including China and the United States.
US President Donald Trump has claimed credit for helping to halt the earlier fighting, albeit temporarily, and has again sought to intervene since the renewed hostilities, so far without visible results.
Thailand and Cambodia have long disputed sovereignty over several areas along their border, which was mapped by France in 1907, when Cambodia was part of French Indochina. EFE
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