On his first trip to Asia since returning to the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump presided over a ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia. He had support from Malaysia at the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur. The deal, co-signed by leaders Anutin Charnvirakul (Thailand), Hun Manet (Cambodia), and Anwar Ibrahim (Malaysia), aims to end decades-long border tensions that previously escalated into deadly fighting. Trump hailed the agreement as a major diplomatic victory, saying, “We did something that a lot of people said couldn’t be done.”
The first phase of the accord requires Thailand to release 18 detained Cambodian soldiers and remove landmines from the disputed border zone. This is supervised by Malaysian troops who will oversee peacekeeping efforts. Yet analysts remain skeptical. Experts like Sebastian Strangio argue the agreement lacks clarity on the border demarcation issue, suggesting it was designed primarily for Trump’s political showmanship rather than long-term resolution. Sporadic violence and delayed Malaysian troop deployments further fuel doubts about its durability.
In parallel, Trump announced major trade and investment deals with Cambodia, Thailand, and Malaysia. The agreements include commitments to purchase billions of dollars’ worth of U.S. agricultural and energy products, Boeing aircraft, and liquefied natural gas, while also guaranteeing unrestricted access to rare earth exports for U.S. companies. However, experts like Shiro Armstrong warn these deals could undermine ASEAN’s unity and multilateral approach, calling them costly “photo opportunities” for political gain.
Thais cautious
Reporter Tony Cheng noted that locals and officials view the new ceasefire as a tentative first step rather than a definitive end to the conflict. The agreement mostly reiterates previous commitments made in July. Such actions like the deployment of Malaysian troops remain unfulfilled. While some border communities welcome the push toward peace, others continue building bomb shelters amid uncertainty. As Cheng summarized, “People here are still concerned this could go either way.”
Reference
Hale, E., & Hume, T. (2025, October 26). Trump signs Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire pact at ASEAN summit in Malaysia. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10/26/trump-jointly-signs-thailand-cambodia-ceasefire-agreement-at-asean-summit