Thailand and Cambodia reaffirm ceasefire after China-brokered meeting
The ceasefire reached in Malaysia was supposed to take effect at midnight on Monday, but was quickly tested.
Thailand's army accused Cambodia of launching attacks in multiple areas early on Tuesday, but Cambodia said there was no firing in any location.
The Thai army then reported exchanges of gunfire into Wednesday morning, but said there was no use of heavy artillery.
Thailand's foreign ministry said on Wednesday morning: 'Such act of aggression constitutes once again a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement by Cambodian forces and their apparent lack of good faith.'
By Wednesday afternoon, however, both sides appeared to have reaffirmed their commitment to a ceasefire, with representatives appearing smiling in a photo with a Chinese vice minister Sun Weidong at a meeting in Shanghai.
In attendance from Cambodia was foreign secretary Kung Phaok, and in attendance from Thailand was Jullapong Nonsrichai, executive adviser to the minister of foreign affairs of Thailand.
'Cambodia and Thailand reiterated to China their commitment to the ceasefire consensus and expressed appreciation for China's positive role in de-escalating the situation,' a statement from China's foreign ministry said.
China said the informal meeting was its 'latest diplomatic effort' and it was playing a 'constructive role in resolving their border dispute', according to the same statement.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
OPEC+ agrees to hike oil production amid threat to Russian supply
Members of the oil producers' group OPEC+ agreed to raise production as concerns grow over possible disruptions to Russian supply. The group has been hiking production since April in a bid to cushion the market against geopolitical tensions, and the decision to increase oil output by 547,000 barrels per day would fully reverse a 2023 2.2 million-barrel cutback aimed at shoring up prices. The move comes after US President Donald Trump threatened to put tariffs on buyers of Russian oil, which could drive up crude prices and severely impact India and China, Moscow's biggest customers. Some Indian refiners have already reportedly stopped buying Russian oil, turning to Middle East and West African suppliers instead. — J.D. Capelouto Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
China is betting on a real-world use of AI to challenge U.S. control
SHANGHAI - As the United States and China vie for control over the future of artificial intelligence, Beijing has embarked on an all-out drive to transform the technology from a remote concept to a newfangled reality, with applications on factory floors and in hospitals and government offices. China does not have access to the most advanced chips required to power cutting-edge models due to restrictions from Washington and is still largely playing catch-up with Silicon Valley giants like OpenAI. But experts say Beijing is pursuing an alternative playbook in an attempt to bridge the gap: aggressively pushing for the adoption of AI across the government and private sector. (The Washington Post has a content partnership with OpenAI.) Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post. 'In China, there's definitely stronger government support for applications and a clear mandate from the central government to diffuse the technology through society,' said Scott Singer, an expert on China's AI sector at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. By contrast, the U.S. has been more focused on developing the most advanced AI models while 'the application layer has been totally ignored,' he said. China's push was on full display in Shanghai at its World Artificial Intelligence Conference, which ran until Tuesday. Themed 'Global Solidarity in the AI Era,' the expo is one part of Beijing's bid to establish itself as a responsible AI leader for the international community. This pitch was bolstered by the presence of international heavyweights like Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google, and Geoffrey Hinton, a renowned AI researcher often called the 'Godfather of AI.' During the event, Beijing announced an international organization for AI regulation and a 13-point action plan aimed at fostering global cooperation to ensure the technology's beneficial and responsible development. 'China attaches great importance to global AI governance,' Li Qiang, China's premier, said at the opening ceremony on Saturday. It 'is willing to share its AI development experience and technological products to help countries around the world - especially those in the Global South,' he said, according to an official readout. Just last week, President Donald Trump announced a competing plan in a bid to boost American AI competitiveness by reducing regulation and promoting global exports of U.S. AI technology. Washington has moved in recent years to restrict China's access to chips necessary for AI development, in part due to concerns about potential military applications of such models and degrading U.S. tech leadership. The Trump administration's approach to chip policy, however, has been mixed. Earlier this month, the White House reversed a previous ban on specific AI chips made by U.S. tech giant Nvidia being exported to China. This shift occurred amid trade negotiations between the world's two largest economies, which have been locked in an escalating tariff and export control war since Trump returned to the Oval Office earlier this year. There was nothing but excitement about AI in the vast expo center in Shanghai's skyscraper-rich Pudong district, where crowds entered gates controlled by facial recognition. Inside, thousands of attendees listened to panels stacked with Chinese government officials, entrepreneurs and international researchers, or watched demonstrations on using AI to create video games, control robotic movements and respond in real time to conversations via smartglasses. Chinese giants like Huawei and Alibaba and newer Chinese tech darlings like Unitree Robotics were there. DeepSeek was not present, but its name was spoken everywhere. The Hangzhou-based upstart has been at the forefront of Beijing's attempt to push the government use of AI since it released a chatbot model in January, prompting a global craze and driving home China's rapid AI advances. DeepSeek has been put to work over the last six months on a wide variety of government tasks. Procurement documents show military hospitals in Shaanxi and Guangxi provinces specifically requesting DeepSeek to build online consultation and health record systems. Local government websites describe state organs using DeepSeek for things like diverting calls from the public and streamlining police work. DeepSeek helps 'quickly discover case clues and predict crime trends,' which 'greatly improves the accuracy and timeliness of crime fighting,' a city government in China's Inner Mongolia region explained in a February social media post. Anti-corruption investigations - long a priority for Chinese leader Xi Jinping - are another frequent DeepSeek application, in which models are deployed to comb through dry spreadsheets to find suspicious irregularities. In April, China's main anti-graft agency even included a book called 'Efficiently Using DeepSeek' on its official book recommendation list. China's new AI action plan underscores this push, declaring that the 'public sector should take the lead in deploying applications' by embedding AI in education, transportation and health care. It also emphasizes a mandate to use AI 'to empower the real economy' and praises open-source models - which are more easily shared - as an egalitarian method of AI development. Alfred Wu, an expert on China's public governance at the National University of Singapore, said Beijing has disseminated a 'top-down' directive to local governments to use AI. This is motivated, Wu said, by a desire to improve China's AI prowess amid a fierce rivalry with Washington by providing models access to vast stores of government data. But not everyone is convinced that China has the winning hand, even as it attempts to push AI application nationwide. For one, China's sluggish economy will impact the AI industry's ability to grow and access funding, said Singer, who was attending the conference. Beijing has struggled to manage persistent deflation and a property crisis, which has taken a toll on the finances of many families across the country. 'So much of China's AI policy is shaped by the state of the economy. The economy has been struggling for a few years now, and applications are one way of catalyzing much-needed growth,' he said. 'The venture capital ecosystem in AI in China has gone dry.' Others point out that local governments trumpeting their usage of DeepSeek is more about signaling than real technology uptake. Shen Yang, a professor at Tsinghua University's school of artificial intelligence, said DeepSeek is not being used at scale in anti-corruption work, for example, because the cases involve sensitive information and deploying new tools in these investigations requires long and complex approval processes. He also pointed out that AI is still a developing technology with lots of kinks. 'AI hallucinations still exist,' he said, using a term for the technology's generation of false or misleading information. 'If it's wrong, who takes responsibility?' These concerns, however, felt far away in the expo's humming hallways. At one booth, Carter Hou, the co-founder of Halliday, a smartglasses company, explained how the lenses project a tiny black screen at the top of a user's field of vision. The screen can provide translation, recordings and summaries of any conversation, and even deploy 'proactive AI,' which anticipates questions based on a user's interactions and provides information preemptively. 'For example, if you ask me a difficult question that is fact related,' Hou said, wearing the trendy black frames, 'all I need to do is look at it and use that information and pretend I'm a very knowledgeable person.' Asked about the event's geopolitical backdrop, Hou said he was eager to steer clear of diplomatic third rails. 'People talk a lot about the differences between the United States and China,' he said. 'But I try to stay out of it as much as possible, because all we want to do is just to build good products for our customers. That's what we think is most important.' Kiki Lei, a Shanghai resident who started an AI video company and attended the conference on Sunday, seemed to agree with this goal. She said that Chinese AI products are easier to use than U.S. products because companies here really 'know how to create new applications' and excel at catering to, and learning from, the large pool of Chinese technology users. Robots, perhaps the most obvious application of AI in the real world, were everywhere at the conference - on model factory floors and in convenience stores retrieving soda cans, shaking disbelieving kids' hands, or just roaming the packed halls. At the booth for ModelBest, another Beijing-based AI start-up, a young student from China's prestigious Tsinghua University, who was interning at the company, demonstrated how a robot could engage with its surroundings - and charm its human interlocutors. Looking directly at the student, the robot described his nondescript clothing. 'The outfit is both stylish and elegant,' the robot continued. 'You have a confident and friendly demeanor, which makes you very attractive.' - - - Pei-Lin Wu in Taiwan contributed to this report. --- Video Embed Code Video: Robots ruled at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, where China displayed its latest tech and AI innovation. Washington Post China correspondent Katrina Northrop reported from the event on July 26.(c) 2025 , The Washington Post Embed code: Related Content Pets are being abandoned, surrendered amid Trump's immigration crackdown The Post exposed this farmer's struggle. Then the USDA called. Kamala Harris will not run for California governor, opening door for 2028 run Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Is China waking up to Israel's strategic importance? Beijing rethinks Middle East strategy
An expert analyzes how China is responding to a new set of global challenges. China's growing engagement in the Middle East—heightened by the recent escalation of conflict in Gaza—has drawn significant global attention and speculation. Traditionally, Beijing's regional strategy has focused on securing long-term economic and energy interests: ensuring access to vital energy resources, safeguarding major international trade corridors, and investing extensively in infrastructure, technology, and energy sectors, particularly in the Persian Gulf. Yet, despite these strategic imperatives, China continues to pursue a deliberately ambivalent and multidimensional approach toward key regional actors, most notably Iran and Israel. This carefully calibrated posture reflects broader geopolitical shifts, the erosion of US hegemony, and, above all, the mounting instability across the Middle East—developments that increasingly threaten both regional equilibrium and China's own economic security. Energy and strategic interests Energy security is a central pillar of China's strategic outlook. As the world's largest oil importer, China currently sources around 40% of its oil from the Middle East–a figure expected to double by 2035. This heavy reliance exposes Beijing to acute vulnerabilities should conflict or instability disrupt critical maritime chokepoints such as the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz. These strategic routes also account for roughly 60% of China's trade with Europe and Africa, further amplifying the stakes of regional volatility. Beyond energy, China's broader economic footprint in the region—particularly through the global Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)—faces mounting risks. Saudi Arabia, China's largest trading partner in the region, exemplifies this accelerating interdependence: their bilateral trade reached $107.53 billion in 2024, underscoring the rapid deepening of their economic ties. Navigating regional rivalries Alongside its pursuit of undermining the American regional influence and asserting itself as a stabilizing global power, Beijing–long known for its cautious and natural approach–has recently adopted a more pragmatic, proactive stance in the diplomatic arena. This shift reflects a delicate balancing act and the adaptation of a flexible, well-calibrated strategy, aimed at maximizing the value derived from diverse strategic partnerships while carefully avoiding alienating any particular state or favouring one over another. China's sophisticated manoeuvring between rival actors and competing regional interests—exemplified by its concurrent cooperation with Saudi Arabia, whose Crown Prince's global ambitious vision, "Vision 2030," is being advanced in tandem with China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This occurs despite its deepening ties with Iran and opposition to its nuclear program and while simultaneously leading diplomatic efforts and negotiations with both the United States and Arab leaders, aimed at promoting a ceasefire and preventing further security escalation in the Middle East. Furthermore, China draws a clear distinction between declarative rhetoric and operational conduct, as well as between political confrontations and broader systemic interests. These distinctions enable it to uphold the principle of non-intervention—avoiding direct political or military involvement—while simultaneously continuing to lead a critical discourse that includes sharp condemnation of Israel and its military policies, alongside consistent support, on the other hand, for the Palestinian and Iranian positions. The Israel-Iran conflict: A critical turning point However, a closer look reveals that the recent direct confrontation between Iran and Israel, which erupted in June, along with US military strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, has triggered a significant shift in China's perception of both actors. This shift is already challenging its previously neutral stance, testing its relationships with regional states and its ability to navigate among them. Moreover, this development increases China's dependence on oil powers, intensifying its need to diversify energy sources and alternative trade and supply routes, including diversified engagements with Central Asian states. Alongside its commitment to invest approximately $400 billion in the development of critical infrastructure across Iran, including the establishment of logistical corridors and the strengthening of security and economic cooperation as part of the BRI project, Beijing is simultaneously cultivating economic and strategic partnerships with Israel, primarily in the fields of high-tech, innovation, and science. Recent reports indicate that bilateral trade volume between China and Israel reached $16.27 billion in 2024, compared to $14.56 billion in 2023. Furthermore, in May of this year, Chinese exports to Israel totalled $1.45 billion, while imports from Israel reached $1.7 billion–figures that reflect Israel's rising significance in Beijing's calculations. Moreover, alongside efforts to restore Iran's military capabilities and renew its missile systems damaged during Israeli and American strikes, China—having for the first time adopted a relatively moderate and conciliatory stance toward Israel—simultaneously directed sharp criticism at the Iranian leadership, accusing it of ideological dogmatism and adherence to an extreme political position. From Beijing's perspective, the conflict with Israel has demonstrated that Iran—significantly weakened—is no longer keeping pace with global developments, and that the so-called 'Axis of Resistance,' including the network of proxies it has cultivated across the Middle East over the years, is gradually fracturing. Senior Chinese scholars have even suggested that the Ayatollah regime, now perceived as teetering on the brink of collapse, no longer serves the strategic interests of China's leadership in the region. Strategic adjustments Recently, voices in Israel are increasingly calling for a reassessment of relations with China, despite constraints imposed by the United States. This presents an opportunity to adopt a new, pragmatic foreign policy approach—one that advances Israel's interests in China, across Asia, and more broadly among countries of the 'Global South.' At the same time, it could help integrate China into initiatives aimed at promoting stability in the Middle East, including the future rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip. All of this is especially relevant today, amid mounting global criticism of Israel, the renewal of nuclear talks with Iran, and the unpredictable foreign policy of the President of the United States. From a broad geopolitical and strategic perspective, it is already becoming apparent that even a partial or limited shift in China's stance toward Israel constitutes an important diplomatic signal—one that could eventually lead to a significant strategic turning point. Beyond the inherent advantages of strengthening bilateral ties and expanding Beijing's role as a mediator between regional adversaries, deeper Chinese involvement could help restrain Iran or, at the very least, counterbalance its negative influence while reducing the risk of regional security escalation. In addition, recognition from China could enhance Israel's prestige and global image—not only as a member of the American-Western bloc and a close ally of the United States, but also as a powerful and legitimate actor on the international stage. Strengthening ties between the two countries could lead to diversification and expansion of investments and partnerships in fields such as technology, innovation (AI), agriculture, and healthcare. This would boost Israeli exports to China's vast market and help position Israel as a regional power. Furthermore, closer relations and a more balanced approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict could influence other countries in the Global South and improve Israel's standing in their eyes. China's real politics Looking from a broad Chinese vantage point, it is evident that China's diplomatic pivot is a sophisticated and calculated move—another layer in its global geopolitical strategy. Beyond expanding its political and economic influence in the Middle East, strengthening ties with Israel is expected to help China position itself as a responsible, moderate, and balanced global power—one capable of acting as a potential mediator in other regional and international conflicts (such as the dispute between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, the fight against the Houthis, and the war between Russia and Ukraine). Through this initiative, China seeks to establish its own network of bilateral and multilateral relationships that will grant it geopolitical flexibility, reduce its dependence on any single country, and enhance its status and image on the international stage. Although this shift may provoke opposition from Iran and other Muslim countries—as well as Western criticism regarding the disruption of the regional balance of power—the success of the move largely depends on how China chooses to frame its new policy. If Beijing emphasizes its pragmatic stance and clarifies that it does not aim to create a new regional security order or to replace the United States in the region, it could profoundly reshape the Middle East landscape, contribute to the regional and global geopolitical balance. Solve the daily Crossword
