After nearly three weeks of intense fighting that threatened regional stability, Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to a ceasefire, bringing a temporary halt to one of Southeast Asia’s deadliest border confrontations in years.
The agreement was reached on December 27, 2025, following a China mediated trilateral meeting in Yunnan province. Beijing played a central role in facilitating talks between senior diplomats from both countries, underscoring China’s growing diplomatic footprint in mainland Southeast Asia.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing was fully committed to supporting a peaceful resolution. China, he noted, had no interest in seeing armed conflict between two neighboring ASEAN countries and strongly favored stability along its southern periphery.
A Conflict With a Heavy Human Cost
The clashes began on December 8, 2025, in a disputed border area and escalated rapidly. According to official figures reported by regional media and Cambodian authorities, the violence resulted in at least 99 deaths.
On the Thai side, 26 soldiers and one civilian were killed in direct fighting, while an additional 41 civilians were reported dead as a result of collateral damage. Cambodia’s Interior Ministry reported 31 civilian deaths.
Beyond the casualties, the conflict triggered a large scale humanitarian crisis. Nearly one million civilians were forced to flee their homes. In Cambodia alone, more than 640,000 people were displaced as fighting spread across multiple border districts.
China’s Humanitarian Intervention
Alongside its diplomatic efforts, China moved quickly to provide emergency humanitarian assistance. On December 28, Chinese Ambassador Wang Wenbin announced that Beijing had delivered emergency aid worth approximately US$2.8 million to support displaced civilians in Cambodia.
The first batch of assistance included emergency tents, blankets, food supplies, and logistical support aimed at improving conditions in temporary shelters. Chinese officials described the aid as an expression of long standing ties and regional responsibility.
China was the first country to publicly confirm the delivery of emergency assistance following the ceasefire agreement.
Confidence Building Measures After the Ceasefire
The Yunnan talks also produced early confidence building steps intended to prevent an immediate relapse into violence.
Thailand signaled its willingness to consider the release of 18 Cambodian prisoners of war, while Cambodian authorities were expected to facilitate the repatriation of Thai nationals located along the border area.
Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn expressed appreciation for China’s role, describing Beijing’s involvement as constructive and essential to ensuring that the ceasefire would hold.
Previous ceasefire attempts earlier in 2025 had collapsed within weeks, including an agreement brokered in July and another round of talks in October involving multiple international mediators.
ASEAN, China, and Regional Stability
While China served as the primary mediator, Beijing emphasized that ASEAN should continue to play a central role in long term monitoring and conflict resolution.
Wang Yi reiterated China’s support for ASEAN led mechanisms and said Beijing was prepared to assist any regional monitoring mission tasked with overseeing ceasefire implementation on the ground.
The conflict has highlighted the fragility of unresolved border disputes in mainland Southeast Asia, as well as the growing role of external powers in shaping regional security outcomes.
A Fragile Path Forward
The ceasefire has brought immediate relief to border communities and reduced the risk of wider escalation. Yet the challenges ahead remain substantial.
With nearly one million people still displaced and dozens of families mourning those killed, the task now is to transform a temporary cessation of hostilities into a durable peace. Trust between Thailand and Cambodia remains fragile, and the success of this agreement will depend on sustained diplomacy, credible monitoring, and meaningful humanitarian recovery.
For Southeast Asia, the developments in Yunnan mark both a pause in violence and a reminder that peace in the region often hinges on careful diplomacy as much as military restraint.
