China envoy visits Cambodia seeking to de-escalate fighting with Thailand

BANGKOK: China’s special envoy for Asian affairs visited Phnom Penh this week ​to push for Cambodia and Thailand to de-escalate their fierce border fighting, Cambodia’s foreign ministry said on Saturday. Deng Xijun’s visit comes as the US and China ‌renew efforts ‌to bring the ‌two ⁠countries ​to ‌a ceasefire, ahead of a special meeting on Monday of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Around 60 people have died and more than half ⁠a million have been displaced since ‌the two nations ‍resumed hostilities, ‍ending a ceasefire that Donald ‍Trump had brokered in July. “Deng Xijun reaffirmed that China will continue to play a constructive role ​in facilitating dialogue between Cambodia and Thailand with a ⁠view to promoting the peaceful settlement of disputes,” the ministry said in a statement. Secretary of State Rubio told reporters on Friday the US was cautiously optimistic that Thailand and Cambodia could be back in compliance with the ceasefire ‌by early next week.