China's weapons exports are self-defense in nature, and after purchase, ownership and use rights will be fully vested in the recipient country," said Song Zhongping, a military expert and former instructor in the Chinese People's Liberation Army. 

"China does not want to see its two old friends go to war, even over a territorial dispute," he said, adding that Beijing would seek to facilitate talks and a ceasefire. "Thailand is both a long-standing friend of China and an old ally of the United States. Cambodia has close ties with China," 

Song's assessment came after The Nation reported on Friday that Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen said his country had weapons capable of reaching Bangkok. Tensions have risen 

between Thailand and Cambodia over a disputed border area known as the Emerald Triangle. A Cambodian soldier was killed in a brief clash on May 28, fueling concerns of a military escalation, the South China Morning Post reported. 

China is the main source of arms for both countries, but Song said it was impossible for Cambodia to threaten the Thai capital with its Chinese-made main rocket system. "Cambodia also does not have fighter jets capable of carrying long-range missiles." Cambodia's defense budget accounts for only about a tenth of Thailand's. "The potential of the Thai military is much stronger than that of the Cambodian military," 

according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). China has overtaken the United States to become Thailand's largest arms supplier, accounting for 44% of Thailand's military imports. 

Meanwhile, Cambodia is almost entirely dependent on Chinese arms, with the Phnom Penh Post reporting that Chinese weapons account for 95 percent of Cambodia’s weapons. 

Song said China, unlike the United States, does not impose conditions on the use of its own weapons. “It is different from the United States, which often imposes restrictions on the way its weapons are used.” 

There have been unconfirmed rumors that the United States restricted India from using American-made military aircraft during its recent conflict with Pakistan over the Kashmir dispute. 

In May, Pakistani forces shot down several Indian Rafale fighter jets, made by France, using J-10CE fighter jets, missiles and other weapons systems. 

However, Song sees several major differences between the Thai-Cambodian dispute and the hostility between India and Pakistan, the latter of which is linked to deep-rooted religious differences. 

 

"Thailand and Cambodia, as Buddhist-majority countries, do not have serious religious differences, and their border disputes stem from French colonial rule," Song said. However, he stressed that China would continue to advise the two friendly countries to exercise restraint and resolve the dispute through negotiations. Song 

added that China would not choose to stand by either side if tensions between Thailand and Cambodia escalated into a military conflict. 

Song suggested that a newly established international arbitration institution in Hong Kong "could play a constructive role in helping the two countries avoid armed confrontation." 

He stressed that China's position was in line with the broader interests of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as any conflict within the bloc would undermine stability in the region. "In addition to China, ASEAN itself could also play a part in mediating." 

(Source: South China Morning Post)