Trump attends ceasefire ceremony with Thailand and Cambodia throughout Malaysia go to : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/7452x4968+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F53%2F64%2F8b6468bd4c4299a39cf6669b31de%2Fap25299185444404.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/7452x4968+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F53%2F64%2F8b6468bd4c4299a39cf6669b31de%2Fap25299185444404.jpg" class="img" alt="Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump, right, watch as Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, second left, and Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet hold up a document after the ceremonial signing of a ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia on the sidelines of the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. " fetchpriority="high"/> 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 conceal caption

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Mohd Rasfan/POOL AFP/ AP 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 yr.

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 state of affairs to make sure preventing 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 is able to 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 status as a world dealmaker at a time when his tariffs have scrambled the worldwide financial system and he is feuding with Democrats over a authorities shutdown again residence.

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 aimed toward rising commerce involving essential minerals. The U.S. needs to rely much less on China, which has restricted exports of key parts in expertise manufacturing.

"It is crucial that we cooperate as prepared companions with one another to make sure that we will have clean 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 yr's occasion was an opportunity for Trump to reengage with a group of countries that has a mixed $3.8 trillion financial system and 680 million folks.

"The USA is with you 100%, and we intend to be a powerful accomplice and buddy for a lot of generations to come back," Trump mentioned. He described his counterparts as "spectacular leaders" and mentioned, "every little thing 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 trendy preventing between the 2 international locations came about over 5 days in July, killing dozens and displacing a whole bunch of hundreds of individuals, a few of the worst trendy preventing between the 2 international locations.

Trump threatened, on the time, to withhold commerce agreements except the preventing stopped in a show of financial leverage credited with spurring negotiations. A shaky truce has persevered since then.

"The truth that Trump was holding the tariff card was really very, very important," mentioned Ou Virak, president of Phnom Penh's Future Discussion board suppose tank. "That is in all probability the primary purpose, if not the one purpose, however undoubtedly the primary purpose 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 could 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 distinction, constantly including to a listing of conflicts that he both helped resolve or claims to have ended.

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/8112x5408+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2a%2Fc5%2F84878a0b44b38c692f75ffbfca8a%2Fap25299179095590.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/8112x5408+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2a%2Fc5%2F84878a0b44b38c692f75ffbfca8a%2Fap25299179095590.jpg" class="img" alt="U.S. President Donald Trump attends the ceremonial signing of a ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia on the sidelines of the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025." loading="lazy"/> 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. Mohd Rasfan/POOL AFP/ AP conceal caption

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Mohd Rasfan/POOL AFP/ AP Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim praised the settlement between Thailand and Cambodia throughout opening remarks on the summit, saying, "it reminds us that reconciliation is just not concession, however an act of braveness."

Thai overseas ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura described the deal on Saturday as a "joint declaration" that can present Thailand and Cambodia "are dedicated to renewing their relations."

"It is not an finish in itself," Nikorndej mentioned. "Work has simply begun."

Tariffs are in deal with Trump's journey Trump is predicted to sit down 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 strategy to the summit, introduced on social media he would hike tariffs on Canada due to it.

One other commerce struggle is entrance and middle on Trump's journey — this one, with China. Trump instructed reporters touring with him on Air Drive One which he was optimistic his assembly with Xi, anticipated to happen in South Korea, may yield progress on a spread of points. Fentanyl trafficking and soybean gross sales are amongst Trump's priorities.

"I believe now we have a very good probability of constructing a really complete deal," Trump mentioned. "I need our farmers to be taken care of. And he needs issues additionally."

It stays to be seen whether or not Trump's dealmaking addresses longstanding points or places them off for an additional day.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent instructed Sunday that Washington and Beijing may step again from their confrontation as an alternative of pushing ahead with larger tariffs by America and export restrictions on uncommon earth parts by China.

When requested if the 2 international locations may lengthen the commerce truce from earlier this yr, Bessent mentioned: "I'd say sure." Nevertheless, he emphasised that the ultimate determination could be as much as Trump.

Trump has expressed confidence concerning 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 they usually're superb offers," he instructed 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 latest battle between India and Pakistan, and he has elevated tariffs on India for its buy of Russian oil.