Trump Helps Broker an End to the Armed Conflict Between Thailand and Cambodia

Donald Trump brokered a ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia on the first day of his Asian tour, during which he plans to conclude new trade deals and hold a key meeting with Xi Jinping.

The U.S. president arrived in Malaysia on Sunday, ahead of the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur. At a ceremony under the slogan “For Peace,” Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian leader Hun Manet signed an expanded truce agreement covering the five-day conflict that flared up in July.

Trump played a decisive role in resolving the most serious border confrontation between the two countries in decades. He warned the leaders that trade talks with the United States would be suspended if hostilities continued. “The United States will pursue robust trade and cooperation with both nations as long as they live in peace,” Trump said.

Promoting his image as a peacemaker during his second term, Trump backed Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s mediation efforts. In response, Hun Manet nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize, praising the American leader’s “extraordinary statesmanship.” On the same day, Trump told reporters he intended to “very quickly” broker peace between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Under the new agreement between Thailand and Cambodia, both sides pledged to withdraw heavy weapons from the border area, jointly conduct demining operations, and release 18 detained Cambodian soldiers. Each country has blamed the other for starting the conflict, which left at least 48 people dead and displaced some 300,000 residents.

“If this agreement is fully implemented, it will serve as a foundation for lasting peace—and most importantly, allow us to begin rebuilding our ties,” Manet said.

“This document reflects our determination to resolve disputes peacefully, with full respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Charnvirakul noted.

On Sunday, Trump also held a series of trade talks. After meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, he said that “the two sides will be able to reach very profitable deals.” The U.S. and Vietnam agreed to establish a framework for a trade pact setting reciprocal tariffs ranging from zero to twenty percent.

In addition, a deal was signed with Malaysia, under which it pledged not to restrict exports of critical minerals to the U.S. in exchange for a fixed 19 percent tariff on Malaysian goods. Trump added that a similar agreement could be reached with Thailand.

Earlier this month, China unexpectedly announced a ban on the export of rare-earth minerals used in defense manufacturing and semiconductor production. With China accounting for the vast majority of global extraction and processing, the move sent markets into panic. Seeking to diversify supply chains, the U.S. recently signed an agreement with Australia to boost domestic mining.

Attendance at the ASEAN summit marked the first leg of Trump’s Asian tour, during which he will also visit Japan and South Korea and meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. A trade war continues between Washington and Beijing, marked by reciprocal tariffs and China’s suspension of soybean imports from the U.S.

On the sidelines of the summit, trade delegations from the two countries continued negotiations. U.S. representative Jamieson Greer said that the parties had made significant progress, paving the way for a meeting between the leaders later in the week.

However, the agenda for the meeting extends well beyond trade. Trump said he intends to raise the case of Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai, who is awaiting sentencing under national security charges, as well as the issue of Taiwan.

The Chinese Communist Party is preparing to declare Taiwan its province, calling the island’s leadership “separatist.” Taiwan’s democratically elected government—along with the opposition and most of its population—rejects the idea of subordination to Beijing. The United States remains Taiwan’s principal partner in countering the threat of annexation, despite the absence of formal diplomatic recognition. U.S. support, enshrined in American law, is manifested primarily through arms supplies.

Trump’s inconsistent remarks on Taiwan have raised concern among observers and officials who doubt his willingness to maintain U.S. support for the island. On Saturday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought to allay those fears.

“If anyone thinks we would trade Taiwan’s security for commercial advantage—no one is even considering such a thing,” he said.

His comments followed Trump’s recent remark that Xi “doesn’t want to do it,” referring to a possible invasion. Trump later clarified, “I hope it doesn’t happen—but we’ll see.”