China will maintain a fair and impartial stance, continue to maintain close communication with Cambodia and Thailand, and actively promote peace talks, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a press briefing in Beijing on Monday.
Guo made the remarks in response to a query about border clashes between Cambodia and Thailand.
"Cambodia and Thailand are neighbors that cannot be moved away and are both friendly neighbors of China. Adhering to good-neighborliness and mutual trust, and properly managing differences serve the fundamental and long-term interests of both sides and contribute to regional peace and stability. China is deeply saddened by the casualties among the Cambodian and Thai people caused by the conflict and extends its sincere condolences. We hope that both sides, starting from the common interests of their peoples, will uphold the spirit of harmony and kindness towards neighbors, remain calm and restrained, cease fire and fighting as soon as possible, resolve differences peacefully through dialog and consultation, and restore peace and stability to the border areas at an early date," Guo said.
"Cambodia and Thailand are both important members of ASEAN. In recent days, ASEAN has actively promoted a ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand, and China commends these efforts and welcomes any initiative that helps de-escalate the situation. China will maintain a fair and impartial stance, continue to maintain close communication with Cambodia and Thailand, actively promote peace talks, and play a constructive role in pushing for a ceasefire and an end to the conflict," he said.
Clashes in the border areas between Cambodia and Thailand began on Thursday, with both sides accusing each other of violating international law.
So far, the number of Cambodian evacuees from border provinces has risen to 39,828 families with about 134,707 people, and a total of 600 schools have been closed, affecting around 150,000 students and 6,000 teachers, according to Cambodian Defense Ministry's Undersecretary of State and Spokesperson Lieutenant General Maly Socheata.
As of Sunday, the border clashes had resulted in the deaths of 14 Thai civilians and eight soldiers, with an additional 37 civilians sustaining varying degrees of injuries. And a total of 139,646 people had been evacuated from the border risk areas, as released by the Thai government on Sunday.
Delegations of Thailand and Cambodia arrived at the Malaysian Prime Minister's residence on Monday to discuss a ceasefire between the two countries.
China to maintain close communication with Cambodia, Thailand: spokesman
