Trump Urges the Thai government to Recommit to Cambodia Truce with Trade Penalties
Washington has exerted influence on Thailand to recommit to a ceasefire agreement with the Cambodian side, indicating that trade talks could be halted as attempts are made to prevent a Trump-mediated peace agreement from falling apart.
Border Tensions Escalate
In recent days, Thailand declared it was suspending the truce agreement, accusing Cambodia of planting new explosives along the shared border, among them an incident that reportedly wounded a Thai military personnel on duty, who suffered a foot amputation in the blast.
Following this, a fatality occurred and multiple individuals injured by exchanges of fire along the Thai-Cambodia frontier, raising concerns of a new round of tit-for-tat fighting.
US Trade Pressure
Over the weekend, a Thai foreign ministry spokesperson told journalists that a official communication from the Office of the US Trade Representative announcing the suspension of trade deal talks was received on the previous evening.
The spokesperson referenced the document as stating that discussions on trade – which are focusing on a 19 percent American duty – could resume once Thailand renewed its pledge to implementing the joint ceasefire declaration.
“Tariff negotiations will continue and remain separate from border issues,” said another government spokesperson.
Trump’s Tariff Threat
Speaking to the press on Air Force One as he flew to Florida on the end of the week, the US leader suggested that he had employed tariff warnings in discussions with the south-east Asian leaders.
The US president said, “I stopped a war just today through the use of tariffs, the threat of tariffs,” continuing, “they are performing well. I believe they will be okay.”
Truce Deal Origins
The President witnessed the finalization of a ceasefire agreement, conducted in Malaysian territory this last autumn, and has touted it as one of multiple agreements around the globe he claims should earn him the Nobel Peace prize.
The most severe clashes in a decade between Thai and Cambodian troops erupted in mid-summer, with gunfire, artillery and airstrikes causing numerous fatalities and hundreds of thousands forced to flee.
Historic Frontier Conflict
The two neighboring countries have a historic territorial disagreement that originates from disagreements over colonial-era maps created by French cartographers. Ancient temples along the border are claimed by both sides.
Reuters contributed to this report.
