CaliToday (28/12/2025): In a decisive move to stabilize its southern periphery, China has convened an emergency trilateral summit today, December 28, bringing together top diplomats and military generals from Thailand and Cambodia. The high-stakes talks in Yunnan province aim to cement a fragile ceasefire following a bloody month of border warfare that has displaced over a million people and exposed the limitations of Western mediation in the region.
The Yunnan Intervention
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is presiding over the two-day summit (Dec 28-29), hosting Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn and Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow.
The meeting was announced just hours after a tentative "immediate" ceasefire came into effect at noon on December 27. Beijing’s rapid intervention signals a clear intent to turn this temporary pause into a permanent solution, with the Chinese Foreign Ministry pledging to help establish a "detailed information exchange system" between the rival militaries to prevent accidental flare-ups.
A Humanitarian Catastrophe
The diplomatic scramble follows three weeks of intense combat that spiraled into a humanitarian disaster. Heavy artillery duels and skirmishes across the jungle border have left at least 47 dead and forced an estimated one million civilians to flee their homes, overwhelming local shelters.
Stepping into the Vacuum
Geopolitical analysts note that Beijing is stepping into a vacuum left by failed international efforts. The conflict, simmering since a Cambodian soldier was killed in May, exploded into open warfare in July.
A previous truce brokered in late October 2025 with significant intervention from Malaysia and U.S. President Donald Trump collapsed spectacularly on December 7 amid mutual accusations of violations. By bringing the parties to Kunming, China is positioning itself as the indispensable power broker capable of enforcing stability where Washington could not.
"The inclusion of military representatives from all three nations is key," noted a regional security analyst. "Beijing is not just facilitating talk; they are likely looking to implement a monitoring mechanism with Chinese oversight to ensure this truce holds."