Chinese Foreign Ministry's Special Envoy for Asian Affairs Deng Xijun made a shuttle-diplomacy trip to Cambodia and Thailand to facilitate talks between the two sides regarding their border clashes, the ministry said in a press release on Tuesday.
Deng visited Cambodia and Thailand for shuttle diplomacy from Dec 18 to 23, according to the ministry.
In Cambodia, Deng met with Prime Minister Hun Manet, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Tea Seiha, and Commander of the Royal Cambodian Army Mao Sophan.
In Thailand, he met with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, Defense Minister Nattaphon Narkphanit, Supreme Commander Ukrit Boontanon, and Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Eksiri Pintaruchi.
Deng said that China is highly concerned about the border situation between the two countries, and is deeply saddened by the casualties and people displacement caused by the conflict, to which it extends its sincere sympathies.
The priority now is to stop fighting and resume dialog as soon as possible to solve the border dispute through peaceful means, he said.
China supports ASEAN's mediation efforts and supports the ASEAN observer team in playing an important role in monitoring the ceasefire, Deng said, adding that the Chinese side is willing to once again create conditions and provide platform for dialog and negotiation between the two sides.
China hopes that Cambodia and Thailand will work together to restore mutual trust and rebuild peace along the border, he said.
Both Cambodia and Thailand expressed gratitude to China for its consistent efforts to promote peace talks in a manner acceptable to all parties.
They reaffirmed their commitment to peace, expressed their expectation for a sustainable ceasefire, and pledged to maintain close communication with China to de-escalate tensions and restore peace and stability to the Cambodia-Thailand border region at an early date.
Chinese special envoy shuttles to mediate Cambodia, Thailand
New growth points have emerged to drive China's consumption up in the transportation sector, Vice Minister of Transport Li Yang said at a press conference in Beijing on Tuesday.
He said efforts will be made to advance these new growth points.
One of the points is the expansion of cruise and yacht consumption in the country in recent years, and efforts are made to promote it, he said.
"Over the past three years, the average annual growth of newly registered yachts in China has remained above 40 percent, signaling a shift of yachts toward mass consumption and a new stage of scale development of the yacht industry. At present, we are studying to formulate a series of measures to expand yacht consumption and revise the Yacht Safety Management Regulations to promote consumption while ensuring safety," Li said.
Another new growth point is the small and mini passenger vehicle rentals in the country, he said, adding that the ministry is working to promote its high-quality development.
Currently, a total of approximately 4 million small and mini passenger vehicles are available for rental in China, and the industry remains in a stage of rapid development, Li said.
It is projected that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), the national short-term rental vehicle market will maintain an average annual growth rate of around 15 percent, he said.
"Next year, we will address the current pain points, bottlenecks, and obstacles in the small and mini passenger vehicle rental sector, focusing more on enhancing vehicle supply during peak periods, collaborating with relevant departments to leverage transportation hubs such as high-speed railway stations, airports, and long-distance bus terminals, and promoting convenient, free or discounted one-way car rentals," Li said.
Still another growth point is the rise of road trips, he said, with a number of highways having become internet hype spots.
To encourage and sustain the trend, the ministry will also improve the highway service facility system, foster a batch of elite cross-regional routes for road trip makers, and make new growth points integrating transport with tourism, Li said.
Official on new growth points in transportation consumption
