Beijing: China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi is set to host regional top diplomats amid ongoing tensions between Cambodia and Thailand over their disputed border, an official statement said Wednesday. Wang will host counterparts from Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand for their 10th Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in the southern Chinese province of Yunnan.

According to Anadolu Agency, the two-day meeting will begin on Thursday and will also include 'informal discussions' between the top diplomats of China, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand. This gathering comes in the wake of Cambodia-Thailand border tensions that escalated into armed clashes last month, resulting in dozens of casualties. The two Southeast Asian nations later agreed to a ceasefire, which remains in place.

On the 10th anniversary of the LMC mechanism, the Chinese Foreign Ministry highlighted the importance of the meeting, stating, "All Lancang-Mekong countries are now at a crucial stage of accelerated development." The ministry further emphasized the need for unity and cooperation in light of the "volatile international landscape and the rise of unilateralism, hegemony, and protectionism."

The statement also noted the progress made under the LMC framework, citing enhanced connectivity across land, sea, air, and cyberspace, as well as deepening cross-border trade, investment, and industrial and supply chain cooperation. The ministry underscored the flourishing cultural and people-to-people exchanges that have strengthened bonds among the countries involved.