Trump oversees signing of Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire deal as he begins his Asia tour

The leaders of Thailand and Cambodia formally signed an enhanced ceasefire deal on Sunday, which was overseen by US President Donald Trump. The deal was signed shortly after Trump arrived in Malaysia, where he will attend the 47th Asean Summit.

The deal was a follow-up to the agreement between the two nations in July, which was brokered by Trump, ending the deadly five-day conflict between the border nations. On Sunday, the American president watched as the Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul signed the expanded ceasefire at the Asean summit.

The agreement obligated both Thailand and Cambodia to release 18 Cambodian soldiers held prisoner and for both sides to begin removing heavy weapons from the border area. Shortly after the ceasefire ceremony, Trump signed an agreement with Cambodia on reciprocal trade and a US deal with Thailand on critical minerals.

A White House official noted that during his Asia tour, Trump would also sign a critical minerals agreement with Malaysia while in Kuala Lumpur.

The American leader began a five-day Asia tour, which includes his trips to Malaysia, Japan and South Korea. This is the first time Trump has visited the continent since he returned to the White House.

During his trip to South Korea, Trump is expected to take part in high-stakes trade talks with China’s leader, Xi Jinping, on the final day of his trip. It is pertinent to note that Trump’s arrival in Malaysia came soon after he announced on Saturday that he would raise US tariffs on Canada by 10 per cent over an anti-tariff ad sponsored by the Ontario government.

Interestingly, both Trump and the Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney are attending the Asean Summit. However, before landing in Malaysia, Trump told reporters that he had no intention of meeting Carney there.

With inputs from agencies.