China has expressed serious concern over the escalating military clashes between Thailand and Cambodia along their shared border, which have left scores dead, Agence France-Presse reports, BTA reports.
According to Thai authorities, Thai military aircraft have struck Cambodian military positions, while retaliatory artillery fire from the Cambodian side has caused civilian casualties in Thailand.
The conflict between the two kingdoms stems from a long-standing territorial dispute that dates back to the time of French Indochina. Although tensions between Bangkok and Phnom Penh are not new, such large-scale and intense clashes have not occurred in nearly 15 years.
“We are deeply concerned by the current developments and hope that the two sides will resolve the issue through dialogue and consultation“, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a regular briefing.
He stressed that it is in the long-term interest of the two countries to maintain friendly and good-neighborly relations and resolve their differences peacefully.
Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have been rising since late May, when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a nighttime shootout in the disputed territory known as the “Emerald Triangle“, an area with a history of cannabis production.
China, which maintains close economic and diplomatic relations with both countries, has significant investments in Cambodia worth billions of euros, AFP notes.
“China takes an impartial and fair stance and will continue to do everything in its power to promote peace, support negotiations and play a constructive role in de-escalating tensions,“ Guo Jiakun added.