Cambodia and Thailand signed an expansion of a ceasefire on Sunday that US President Donald Trump helped broker this summer to end their border conflict. Trump used the threat of higher tariffs against both countries to help secure their agreement to end the fighting, which resulted in dozens of deaths and the displacement of hundreds of thousands.
Speaking ahead of the signing ceremony, Trump called it the momentous day and said, “This is so exciting because we did something that a lot of people said couldn’t be done. And we saved maybe millions of lives on this one piece deal itself. And I’ll tell you what makes me so happy is the two countries we’re dealing with and the third that helped so much, I appreciate so much. Maybe it couldn’t have been done without you, but they really like each other. I’m not used to that. When I do these deals. Usually there’s a lot of hatred. They liked each other, so it made it a little bit easier. But millions of people are alive today because of this peace treaty.”“This is a momentous day for all of the people of Southeast Asia as we sign a historic agreement to end the military conflict between Cambodia and Thailand,” he added. The US leader watched as Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul signed the expanded ceasefire at the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which both nations are members.Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet called it a “historic day,” and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the agreement creates “the building blocks for a lasting peace.” The agreement included Thailand releasing 18 Cambodian soldiers held prisoner and both sides beginning to remove heavy weapons from the border area. Territory along the 800-kilometre (500-mile) frontier between Thailand and Cambodia has been disputed for decades, but previous confrontations were limited and brief.Trump also signed trade deals with Cambodia and Malaysia, as well as a critical minerals deal with Thailand.The ceremony marked President Trump’s first event after arriving at the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, hosted in Kuala Lumpur. The trip is set to continue with visits to Japan and South Korea, and a potential meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.For Trump, it serves as an opportunity to enhance his reputation as an international dealmaker amid tariffs that have disrupted the global economy and ongoing disputes with Democrats over a govt shutdown at home.
