China seeks to mediate Thai-Cambodia clash Trump says he ended

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BEIJING – China is dispatching a diplomat to Cambodia and Thailand as a

new bout of violence between the two South-east Asian nations

Mr Deng Xijun, China’s Special Envoy for Asian Affairs, will travel to Cambodia and Thailand on Dec 18 to conduct mediation, the Foreign Ministry in Beijing said in a statement.

“China closely follows the ongoing border conflict between the two countries,” it said. “Through its own way, China has been working actively for de-escalation.”

Mr Trump has pushed for peace since the conflict spiked in July and has threatened both countries with trade retaliation if either nation violates the terms of an October peace declaration he orchestrated.

While Mr Deng has travelled at least twice to seek mediation, this is his first since the so-called Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords were signed.

Clashes along the 800km border resumed earlier in December, including Thai air strikes on Cambodian military targets.

More than two dozen people have been killed, including 16 Thai soldiers and 12 Cambodian civilians, and over half a million people have fled the area because of the fighting.

China has engaged with both sides since the start of the violence, but has kept a much lower profile than the US as Beijing generally avoids publicly intervening in conflicts, beyond seeking to facilitate discussions.

The Trump administration has sought to highlight that China has not played a role in the peace process.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside normal working hours.

Mr Trump called both leaders last week to push again for a ceasefire, although the fighting has since