Thailand, Cambodia sign expansion of ceasefire that ended border conflict

The agreement included Thailand releasing 18 Cambodian soldiers held prisoner and for both sides to begin removing heavy weapons from the border area

Thailand and Cambodia signed an expanded ceasefire agreement on Sunday during a ceremony attended by US 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 withdrawing heavy artillery as part of the first phase of the deal. Regional observers will monitor the situation to ensure fighting doesn't restart.

We did something that a lot of people said couldn't be done, Trump said. 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 ceremony was Trump's first event after arriving at the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), hosted in Kuala Lumpur.

The trip, which will continue with visits to Japan and South Korea and a potential meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, is an opportunity for Trump to burnish his reputation as an international dealmaker at a time when his tariffs have scrambled the international economy and he's feuding with Democrats over a government shutdown back home.

Trump touched down in the Malaysian capital shortly before 0200 GMT, where he performed his trademark campaign trail dance with local performers and waved an American flag in one hand and a Malaysian flag in the other.

He's expected to sign agreements with Malaysia involving trade and critical minerals later in the day. The US has been working to expand its supply chains to rely less on China, which has limited exports of key components in technology manufacturing.

Trump is reengaging with a key region of the world  The president attended this summit only once during his first term, and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth seemed unfamiliar with Asean during his confirmation hearing in January.

But this year's event offered a fresh opportunity for Trump to play global peacemaker.

Thailand and Cambodia fought for five days in July, killing dozens and displacing hundreds of thousands of people, some of the worst modern fighting between the two countries. The two countries have competing territorial claims, and violence periodically flares along their border.

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.

After the expanded ceasefire agreement was signed on Sunday, Trump inked separate economic deals with Cambodia and Thailand.

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 honour, continuously adding to a list of conflicts that he either helped resolve or claims to have ended.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim praised the agreement between Thailand and Cambodia during opening remarks at the summit, saying, it reminds us that reconciliation is not concession, but an act of courage.

Thai foreign ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura described the deal on Saturday as a joint declaration that will show Thailand and Cambodia are committed to renewing their relations.

It's not an end in itself, Nikorndej said. Work has just begun.

Tariffs are in focus on Trump's trip  Trump is expected to sit down with Brazilian President Luiz Incio Lula da Silva while he's in Kuala Lumpur, but not Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. The US leader is angry with Canada because of a television ad protesting his tariffs, and on his way to the summit, announced on social media he would hike tariffs on Canada because of it.

Another trade war is front and centre on Trump's trip this one, with China. Trump told reporters travelling with him on Air Force One that he was optimistic his meeting with Xi, expected to take place in South Korea, could yield progress on a range of issues.

Fentanyl trafficking and soybean sales are among Trump's priorities.

I think we have a really good chance of making a very comprehensive deal, Trump said. I want our farmers to be taken care of. And he wants things also.

Details about Trump's agreements have been characteristically scarce, even after he departed Washington. It remains to be seen whether Trump's dealmaking addresses longstanding issues or puts them off for another day.

He expressed confidence about the prospect of finalising trade agreements with Japan and South Korea, two longstanding allies and trading partners, during the trip.

We have deals with a lot of people and they're very good deals, Trump told reporters travelling with him on Air Force One.

One leader who will be absent from the summit in Kuala Lumpur is Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

4 countries, 6 days, billions on the line  US President Donald Trump’s first Asia trip since 2019 packs diplomacy, deals, and delicate balancing acts across Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and China  Southeast Asia  A wary audience  •    Malaysia secured tariff exemptions for some of its US exports, including palm oil, rubber, cacao, and aerospace equipment on Sunday  •    US sees Southeast Asia as both a China buffer and a supply-chain hub  •    US top export destination for Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand and Cambodia  •    19-20% tariffs a blow to many Southeast Asian economies  Japan  New PM, old challenges  •    To meet with Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s first female PM  •    The two sides are ironing out a trade accord under which Japan agreed to invest $550 billion in the US in exchange for lighter tariffs  •    Japan looks to secure US backing against China  •    Keep tariffs manageable under Trump 2.0  South Korea  Tariffs vs security  •    To meet President Lee Jae Myung at the Apec summit  •    Trade talks have dragged on despite Seoul’s $350 billion investment pledge to avoid tariffs — leaving Korean automakers still facing a 25% duty  •    US–Korea alliance remains strong, anchored by the largest US military base overseas, but Lee is cautious not to provoke Beijing, given Korea’s deep trade ties with China  China  The high-stakes showdown  •    Trump’s first in-person meeting with Xi Jinping of his second term  •    Beijing wants tariff rollback and end to US tech export curbs  •    Washington wants China to buy more soybeans and Boeing planes  •    China enters the talks with leverage with control over 80–90% of global rare earth supply  •    US threatens new 100% tariffs and software export limits  •    The meeting could determine if the world’s two largest economies edge toward détente — or another round of trade confrontation     Source: The New York Times