KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Thailand and Cambodia signed an expanded ceasefire agreement on Sunday during a ceremony attended by U.S. President Donald Trump, whose threats of economic pressure prodded the two nations to halt skirmishes along their disputed border earlier this year.
Thailand will release Cambodian prisoners, and Cambodia will begin pulling back heavy artillery as part of the first phase of the deal. Regional observers will monitor the situation to make sure the fighting doesn’t restart.
‘Trump stated, ‘We accomplished something many believed was unattainable.” Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet described it as a ‘historic day,’ and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul remarked that the agreement provides ‘the building blocks for lasting peace.’
This ceremony was Trump’s first event after arriving at the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which is being held in Kuala Lumpur. The trip will continue to Japan and South Korea, and possibly include a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. It is an opportunity for Trump to boost his image as an international dealmaker as his tariffs are disrupting the international economy, and he is at odds with Democrats concerning a government shutdown back home.
Trump landed in Malaysia’s capital shortly before 0200 GMT, participating in his signature campaign dance with local artists while holding both the American and Malaysian flags.
Asia
During his upcoming visit to Asia, Trump is set to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. He has signed economic deals with Cambodia, Thailand, and Malaysia, some focusing on boosting trade in vital minerals. The U.S. is seeking to become less dependent on China, which has restricted exports of key tech manufacturing components.
“It is vital that we partner willingly to ensure smooth and secure supply chains for our people’s quality of life and safety,” said U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
The president attended this summit only once during his first term, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth seemed unfamiliar with ASEAN during his confirmation hearing in January.
But this year’s event was a chance for Trump to reengage with a collection of nations that has a combined $3.8 trillion economy and 680 million people.
“The United States is with you 100%, and we intend to be a strong partner and friend for many generations to come,” Trump said. He described his counterparts as “spectacular leaders” and said, “everything you touch turns to gold.”
The summit also allowed Trump to play global peacemaker with Thailand and Cambodia, which have competing territorial claims that result in periodic violence along their border. Some of the worst modern fighting between the two countries took place over five days in July, killing dozens and displacing hundreds of thousands of people, some of the worst modern fighting between the two countries.
Trump threatened, at the time, to withhold trade agreements unless the fighting stopped in a display of economic leverage credited with spurring negotiations. A shaky truce has persisted since then.
“The fact that Trump was holding the tariff card was actually very, very significant,” said Ou Virak, president of Phnom Penh’s Future Forum think tank. “That’s probably the main reason, if not the only reason, but definitely the main reason why the two sides agreed immediately to the ceasefire.”
Now, he said, “there’s a ceremony for Trump to be in front of cameras” so he can be “seen as the champion that brings an end to wars and conflicts,” giving him “more ammunition for his bid for Nobel Peace Prize.”
Trump has explicitly campaigned for the honor, continuously adding to a list of conflicts that he either helped resolve or claims to have ended.
In his opening remarks at the summit, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim praised the agreement between Thailand and Cambodia, noting, “It reminds us that reconciliation is not concession, but an act of courage.”
According to Thai foreign ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura, the deal was described on Saturday as a “joint declaration” indicating that Thailand and Cambodia are devoted to improving their relations.
“It’s not an end in itself,” Nikorndej said. “The work has only begun.”