By Liz Lee and Shi Bu
BEIJING (Reuters) -China expressed support for Thailand and Cambodia in resolving their border dispute on Thursday and offered to provide assistance based on the wishes of both nations, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.
Wang said China supports the Southeast Asian countries in strengthening dialogue and eliminating misunderstandings, adding he hoped they would rebuild mutual trust and restore friendship, according to statements from his ministry.
He met his Thai and Cambodian counterparts separately during the day but also convened a three-way conversation on the sidelines of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in China’s southwestern Yunnan province, readouts of the three meetings showed.
In their “friendly and candid communication”, Wang said China hoped that the two countries could reopen border crossings as soon as possible, a Chinese foreign ministry statement said.
China also promised support and assistance for landmine clearance in the border areas of Cambodia and Thailand, and the three ministers agreed to continue communication in a “flexible manner”, the Chinese statement added.
Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa said he had attended an informal “tea chat” consultation with Chinese and Cambodian counterparts and expressed appreciation for China’s constructive role in supporting peace.
There was no immediate comment from Cambodia.
Thailand and Cambodia have wrangled for decades over border territory and a border conflict erupted last month after the killing of a Cambodian soldier in a skirmish late in May.
It was the worst fighting in more than a decade and only eased after a ceasefire was struck in late July.
In a bilateral meeting with Thailand’s Maris, Wang spoke about China’s readiness to accelerate a China-Thailand railway construction project, encourage more investments from Chinese enterprises in Thailand and ensure the stability of the regional production and supply chain.
It is hoped that Thailand will provide more policy support and facilitation for Chinese enterprises, he told his Thai counterpart.
While meeting with Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, Wang sounded support for Cambodia maintaining political stability, and said China is appreciative of the country’s crackdown on online gambling and wire fraud.
He also expressed hopes that Cambodia will continue strong measures for joint efforts in the region against cross-border criminal activities.
(Reporting by Liz Lee and Shi Bu; Editing by Jacqueline Wong, William Maclean and Raju Gopalakrishnan)
