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

BANGKOK, Dec 20: 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.

"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. �"REUTERS