Royal Thai Army soldiers are seen on armored vehicles on a road in Chachoengsao province on July 24, 2025. Thailand reportedly launched air strikes on Cambodian military targets on the day, and Cambodia fired rockets and artillery, in a dramatic escalation of a long-running border row between the two neighbors. Photo: VCG

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson expressed deep concern over current developments between Thailand and Cambodia on July 24, urging both parties to resolve the issue through dialogue and negotiation after fresh clashes broke out along their border.

Thailand and Cambodia exchanged fire on their border on July 24 in a sharp escalation of their conflict that killed at least 11 civilians, according to the Al Jazeera update. Both nations accused each other of starting the military clashes and have downgraded their diplomatic relations since Wednesday, according to the media reports. 

Thailand is closing all border crossings with Cambodia, a spokesperson of Thailand's Ad Hoc Center for Thailand-Cambodia Border Situation told a press briefing on July 24, the Xinhua News Agency said. 

The two countries' foreign ministries issued statements condemning the situation "in the strongest terms," while calling on each other to cease the hostile acts.

Cambodia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation issued a statement condemning Thailand's aggression. Since the early morning of July 24, Thai armed forces launched "unprovoked, premeditated and deliberate attacks" on Cambodian positions along the border areas, including Tamone Thom Temple, Ta Krabey Temple and Mom Bei, in the provinces of Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey, it said.

The Thai government also condemned on July 24 "in the strongest terms the violations of Thailand's sovereignty and international law" and urged Cambodia to cease its repeated act which constitutes a severe violation of international law, according to a statement issued by the Thai foreign ministry.

At a press conference on july 24, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun, when responding to a question on the Thailand-Cambodia border clash, stated that Thailand and Cambodia are both China's friendly neighbors and important members of ASEAN. Good-neighborliness and properly settling differences serves the fundamental and long-term interests of the two sides.

He added that we are deeply concerned over the ongoing developments and hope that the two sides will properly address issues through dialogue and consultation. Bearing in mind the common interest and concerns of regional countries, China upholds a just and impartial stance. We have and will continue to promote talks for peace in our own way and play a constructive role in promoting deescalation.

The strikes come a day after a Thai soldier lost his leg to a landmine on the border, prompting a downgrade of diplomatic ties by both Bangkok and Phnom Penh as relations collapse to their lowest level in years, CNN said. 

Worrying escalation 

The Chinese Embassy in Cambodia on July 24 reminded Chinese citizens in the country, especially those near the conflict zones, to closely monitor the local security situation, remain vigilant, take precautions, and stay safe. They should also avoid traveling to the Cambodian-Thai border areas, according to a statement issued by the embassy.

A Chinese citizen living in Bangkok, surnamed Qian, who had planned to fly back to Beijing in two days, told the Global Times on Thursday that after learning the conflict had escalated to airstrikes, she was worried that if the situation worsened further, Thai airspace might close, leaving her unable to return home. 

Zhou Yingping, General Manager of China Southern Airlines Company Limited's Phnom Penh Office, told the Global Times on Thursday that the company has contacted Cambodian air traffic control authorities and confirmed that there are no disruptions so far to current flight operations. However, Zhou expressed worries about the conflict escalating out of control and said they are closely monitoring the situation.

Cambodian media outlet Khmer Times described the clashes on July 24 as having "escalated into one of the most serious military standoffs between the two countries in recent years," drawing regional and international concern.

Thailand's Ministry of Education ordered all 582 schools on July 24 in the Thai-Cambodian border conflict zone to temporarily suspend classes, according to CCTV News. 

The ministry said the suspension was for safety reasons, with all students currently returning home. If the situation continues to worsen, students will be instructed to seek shelter in bunkers, CCTV News said. 

With the conflict escalating through the deployment of heavy weapons such as fighter jets and rocket artillery following landmine incidents along the disputed border, a Chinese military affairs expert said the clashes were intensifying, and warned of further escalation between China's two neighbors. 

Ritcha Suksuwanon, Thai military deputy spokesperson, said six Thai F-16 fighter jets were deployed from Ubon Ratchathani province, hitting two "Cambodian military targets on the ground", according to the Al Jazeera. The report also said that Cambodia fired artillery shells and rockets into Thailand, per the update report. 

Both countries seek to communicate with the UN urgently on Thursday. Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampong arrived at the UN Headquarters in New York City on Thursday afternoon to urgently communicate with the international community regarding "Cambodia opening fire on Thailand," Bangkok-based media Khaosod English reported. 

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has formally requested the UN Security Council to urgently address what he described as a "premeditated military aggression" by Thai armed forces along the Cambodian-Thai border, Khmer Times reported.

CNN, citing an analyst, predicted on Thursday that the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia is "likely to get worse before it gets better," and the next few days could see more "confrontation, clashes, escalation."

Thailand and Cambodia have had a complicated relationship of both cooperation and rivalry in recent decades, CNN said, pointing out that the two countries share an 817-kilometer land border — largely mapped by the French when they controlled Cambodia as a colony — that has periodically seen military clashes and been the source of political tensions.

"Many of the issues are not due to deep-rooted animosity between Thailand and Cambodia themselves, but rather stem from the lingering problems left behind when French colonialists withdrew," Song Zhongping, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on July 24. 

The border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia involves complex historical issues. The two countries should actively seek more dialogue and communication, and work together to create favorable conditions for easing the situation, Bao Zhipeng, an assistant researcher at the Department for Asia-Pacific Studies of the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on July 24. 

(Source: Global Times)