Cambodian and Thai Premiers to Meet Xi in Shanghai Amid Border Dispute Concerns

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Chanvirakul are scheduled to attend the opening session of the World AI Conference 2026 (WAIC) in Shanghai on July 17, at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. However, attention is focused on whether China will play a role in pushing for border talks between the two nations, which have not met at the negotiating table since December. Prime Minister Manet will be accompanied on his July 15-17 trip by Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, Defence Minister Tea Seiha, and Sun Chanthol, First Vice-Chairman of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC). Meanwhile, Thai Prime Minister Anutin is reportedly joined by his Foreign Minister, Sihasak Phuangketkeow. Both prime ministers are scheduled to meet with President Xi Jinping, as well as Premier Li Qiang. A statement from the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "This working visit highlights the shared commitment between Cambodia and China to deepen their long-standing friendship and promote mutually beneficial cooperation." It added, "The visit also serves as a new driving force to advance the implementation of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Cooperation, enhance the Diamond Cooperation Framework and build an all-weather Cambodia-China Community with a Shared Future in the new era." The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued a release stating, "The visit is to further strengthen the Thailand-China Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership for the mutual benefit of the two peoples." Both Prime Ministers Manet and Anutin attended the 3rd ASEAN Future Forum (AFF 2026) held in Hanoi, Vietnam, in early June. While the two leaders shook hands for the cameras, no discussions took place that addressed the ongoing border dispute. Analysts suggest that China will leverage its position as a major trading partner of both nations to push for a resolution. However, Kin Phea, Director of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, points to those "who actually hold power" in Thailand as the main obstacle to finding a resolution. "The Thai military has not implemented the measures that their civilian government agreed with their Cambodian counterparts. They allow the military to arbitrarily carry out their actions, including encroaching on Cambodian sovereign territory," Phea stated. "China should push for both countries to meet for talks and solve the issue peacefully, through diplomatic paths or other consultation efforts, based on international law. China should play a more active role as an arbitrator so that both countries can solve their conflict, end tensions, and return to normalcy." He noted that these intentions were declared at the China-brokered Fuxian Consensus reached in December 2025. "Thailand must be forced to respect the consensus. They must withdraw their troops from occupied areas, return to the negotiating table, and work with the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) without further delay," Phea added. Several parts of Cambodia remain under Thai occupation, with approximately 20,000 Cambodian civilians unable to return to their homes.