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

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 strain 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 section of the deal. Regional observers will monitor the state of affairs to make sure preventing does not restart.

“We did something that a lot of people said couldn’t be done,” Trump stated. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet referred to as it a “historic day,” and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul stated the settlement creates “the building blocks for a lasting 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 global 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 aimed toward growing commerce involving crucial minerals. The U.S. needs to rely much less on China, which has restricted exports of key parts in expertise manufacturing.

“It’s very important that we cooperate as willing partners with each other to ensure that we can have smooth supply chains, secure supply chains, for the quality of life, for our people and security,” stated 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 group of countries that has a mixed $3.8 trillion economic system and 680 million individuals.

“The United States is with you 100%, and we intend to be a strong partner and friend for many generations to come,” Trump stated. He described his counterparts as “spectacular leaders” and stated, “everything you touch turns to gold.”

The summit additionally allowed Trump to play international peacemaker with Thailand and Cambodia, which have competing territorial claims that end in periodic violence alongside their border. A number of the worst trendy preventing between the 2 nations befell over 5 days in July, killing dozens and displacing lots of of hundreds of individuals, among the worst trendy preventing between the 2 nations.

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 fact that Trump was holding the tariff card was actually very, very significant,” stated Ou Virak, president of Phnom Penh’s Future Discussion board assume 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 stated, “there’s a ceremony for Trump to be in front of cameras” so he could 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 distinction, 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.

Mohd Rasfan/POOL AFP/ AP

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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 not concession, but an act of courage.”

Thai overseas ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura described the deal on Saturday as a “joint declaration” that may present Thailand and Cambodia “are committed to renewing their relations.”

“It’s not an end in itself,” Nikorndej stated. “Work has just begun.”

Tariffs are in concentrate on Trump’s journey

Trump is anticipated 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 option to the summit, introduced on social media he would hike tariffs on Canada due to it.

One other commerce battle 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 variety of points. Fentanyl trafficking and soybean gross sales are amongst Trump’s priorities.

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

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 advised Sunday that Washington and Beijing may step again from their confrontation as an alternative of pushing ahead with increased tariffs by America and export restrictions on uncommon earth components by China.

When requested if the 2 nations may prolong the commerce truce from earlier this 12 months, Bessent stated: “I would say yes.” Nevertheless, he emphasised that the ultimate resolution can 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, through the journey.

“We have deals with a lot of people and they’re very good deals,” 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 recently. Trump prompted 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.