Trump headlines ASEAN summit as ceasefire deal signed
The leaders of Thailand and Cambodia signed an extended ceasefire agreement, which was followed by US President Donald Trump, who traveled to Malaysia for the ASEAN Summit and oversaw a series of key trade talks.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and his Cambodian counterpart Hun Manet signed the agreement at a ceasefire ceremony held in front of a sign reading “Peace is Achieved”, building on the ceasefire signed three months ago.
Hun Manet said, “This declaration, if fully implemented, will form the building blocks of a lasting peace, but more importantly, it will begin the process of repairing our ties.” he said.
“Our border communities have been divided by conflict and innocent civilians have suffered enormous losses.”
Trump brokered an end to the five-day conflict in July by calling the leaders of the two countries and urging them to end hostilities or risk a suspension of trade talks with Washington.
“The United States will have strong trade and cooperation with both countries as long as they live in peace, many of which will apply,” Trump said.
Both sides accuse each other of escalating the exchange of rockets and artillery that left at least 48 people dead and an estimated 300,000 temporarily displaced in the worst fighting in recent history.
Anutin nearly missed the signing ceremony after the kingdom’s Queen Mother Sirikit died on Friday, but later decided to fly to attend the ceremony.
He said both sides would “remove heavy weapons from border areas to ensure the security of our people” and that Thailand would release 18 detained Cambodian soldiers.
Upon his arrival in Malaysia, Trump was welcomed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and a troupe of ceremonial dancers.
She stopped to dance with performers on the red carpet before holding a US flag in one hand and a Malaysian flag in the other, then jumped into her limousine to head into town with Anwar.
While anti-Trump demonstrations were also held in Kuala Lumpur, some protesters were carrying banners stating that the president was not welcome in Malaysia.
While Trump met with other leaders, U.S. and Chinese negotiators met on the sidelines to prevent the trade war between the world’s two largest economies from escalating further.
Asked by a reporter whether rare earth elements were discussed in the talks that started on Saturday, senior US trade negotiator Jamieson Greer said a wide range of issues were discussed, including extending the ceasefire on trade measures.
“I think we’ve gotten to the point where leaders will have a very productive meeting,” Greer said.
China’s stranglehold on global rare earth supplies is at the center of negotiations, and Washington is trying to diversify supply chains.
At the ceasefire ceremony, Trump said that the United States would soon sign critical mineral agreements with Thailand and Malaysia, and that a broader trade agreement with Cambodia was in the preparation phase.
Later Sunday, he will discuss sharp U.S. tariffs with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who was among many world leaders attending the weekend summit.
A similar meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was not on the agenda after the talks between the neighbors ended abruptly.
Trump said Saturday that he would increase tariffs on Canada by 10 percent “over what they currently pay.”
