Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump, proper, watch as Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, second left, and Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet maintain up a doc after the ceremonial signing of a ceasefire settlement between Thailand and Cambodia on the sidelines of the forty seventh Affiliation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025.
Mohd Rasfan/POOL AFP/ AP
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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Thailand and Cambodia signed an expanded ceasefire settlement on Sunday throughout a ceremony attended by U.S. President Donald Trump, whose threats of financial stress prodded the 2 nations to halt skirmishes alongside their disputed border earlier this 12 months.
Thailand will launch Cambodian prisoners and Cambodia will start withdrawing heavy artillery as a part of the primary part of the deal. Regional observers will monitor the scenario to make sure combating does not restart.
“We did one thing that lots of people mentioned could not be completed,” Trump mentioned. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet referred to as it a “historic day,” and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul mentioned the settlement creates “the constructing blocks for an enduring peace.”
The ceremony was Trump’s first occasion after arriving on the annual summit of the Affiliation of Southeast Asian Nations, hosted in Kuala Lumpur. The journey, which can proceed with visits to Japan and South Korea and a possible assembly with Chinese language chief Xi Jinping, is a chance for Trump to burnish his fame as a world dealmaker at a time when his tariffs have scrambled the worldwide economic system and he is feuding with Democrats over a authorities shutdown again dwelling.
Trump touched down within the Malaysian capital shortly earlier than 0200 GMT, the place he carried out his trademark marketing campaign path dance with native performers and waved an American flag in a single hand and a Malaysian flag within the different.
The president signed financial agreements with Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia, a few of them geared toward rising commerce involving vital minerals. The U.S. desires to rely much less on China, which has restricted exports of key elements in know-how manufacturing.
“It is crucial that we cooperate as keen companions with one another to make sure that we are able to have easy provide chains, safe provide chains, for the standard of life, for our folks and safety,” mentioned U.S. Commerce Consultant Jamieson Greer.
Trump reengages with a key area of the world
The president attended this summit solely as soon as throughout his first time period, and Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared unfamiliar with ASEAN throughout his affirmation listening to in January.
However this 12 months’s occasion was an opportunity for Trump to reengage with a set of countries that has a mixed $3.8 trillion economic system and 680 million folks.
“The USA is with you 100%, and we intend to be a powerful accomplice and good friend for a lot of generations to come back,” Trump mentioned. He described his counterparts as “spectacular leaders” and mentioned, “every part you contact turns to gold.”
The summit additionally allowed Trump to play world peacemaker with Thailand and Cambodia, which have competing territorial claims that lead to periodic violence alongside their border. A number of the worst fashionable combating between the 2 international locations came about over 5 days in July, killing dozens and displacing tons of of hundreds of individuals, a number of the worst fashionable combating between the 2 international locations.
Trump threatened, on the time, to withhold commerce agreements until the combating stopped in a show of financial leverage credited with spurring negotiations. A shaky truce has endured since then.
“The truth that Trump was holding the tariff card was truly very, very vital,” mentioned Ou Virak, president of Phnom Penh’s Future Discussion board suppose tank. “That is in all probability the primary cause, if not the one cause, however positively the primary cause why the 2 sides agreed instantly to the ceasefire.”
Now, he mentioned, “there is a ceremony for Trump to be in entrance of cameras” so he may be “seen because the champion that brings an finish to wars and conflicts,” giving him “extra ammunition for his bid for Nobel Peace Prize.”
Trump has explicitly campaigned for the respect, repeatedly including to a listing of conflicts that he both helped resolve or claims to have ended.
U.S. President Donald Trump attends the ceremonial signing of a ceasefire settlement between Thailand and Cambodia on the sidelines of the forty seventh Affiliation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025.
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Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim praised the settlement between Thailand and Cambodia throughout opening remarks on the summit, saying, “it reminds us that reconciliation just isn’t concession, however an act of braveness.”
Thai international ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura described the deal on Saturday as a “joint declaration” that may present Thailand and Cambodia “are dedicated to renewing their relations.”
“It isn’t an finish in itself,” Nikorndej mentioned. “Work has simply begun.”
Tariffs are in deal with Trump’s journey
Trump is anticipated to take a seat down with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva whereas he is in Kuala Lumpur, however not Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. The U.S. chief is offended with Canada due to a tv advert protesting his tariffs, and on his option to the summit, introduced on social media he would hike tariffs on Canada due to it.
One other commerce conflict is entrance and heart on Trump’s journey — this one, with China. Trump informed reporters touring with him on Air Drive One which he was optimistic his assembly with Xi, anticipated to happen in South Korea, might yield progress on a spread of points. Fentanyl trafficking and soybean gross sales are amongst Trump’s priorities.
“I feel now we have a extremely good probability of constructing a really complete deal,” Trump mentioned. “I would like our farmers to be taken care of. And he desires issues additionally.”
It stays to be seen whether or not Trump’s dealmaking addresses longstanding points or places them off for one more day.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent advised Sunday that Washington and Beijing might step again from their confrontation as an alternative of pushing ahead with larger tariffs by America and export restrictions on uncommon earth components by China.
When requested if the 2 international locations might prolong the commerce truce from earlier this 12 months, Bessent mentioned: “I might say sure.” Nevertheless, he emphasised that the ultimate determination could be as much as Trump.
Trump has expressed confidence in regards to the prospect of finalizing commerce agreements with Japan and South Korea, two longstanding allies and buying and selling companions, throughout the journey.
“We’ve offers with lots of people and so they’re excellent offers,” he informed reporters touring with him on Air Drive One.
One chief who was absent from the summit in Kuala Lumpur is Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Though he was shut with Trump throughout his first time period, the connection has been extra tense these days. Trump brought on irritation by boasting that he settled a current battle between India and Pakistan, and he has elevated tariffs on India for its buy of Russian oil.
