At the start of Donald Trump’s trip to Asia, Thailand and Cambodia signed a peace agreement brokered by the US President. The Republican took part in the summit of the Southeast Asian community of states Asean in Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur this morning (local time) as a guest of honor. The heads of government of the two neighboring countries sealed the agreement there. This was preceded by heavy fighting on the Thai-Cambodian border in July.
The highlight of Trump’s multi-day trip is a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea on Thursday, which, according to Washington, will primarily focus on trade issues in the long-simmering customs conflict. If an agreement is not reached, there is a risk of high tariffs.
What is the Thailand-Cambodia agreement about?
The agreement provides, among other things, for the withdrawal of heavy weapons and joint mine clearance. Trump said he was proud to have contributed to peace and announced that 18 Cambodian prisoners of war held in Thailand would be released.
At the same time, he criticized the United Nations for not having contributed anything to resolving the conflict. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, who shook hands with his Thai counterpart Anutin Charnvirakul after the signing, spoke of a “historic moment”.
At the end of July, there were days of fighting between the two neighbors’ armed forces along the 800-kilometer-long border, in which more than 40 people died and hundreds of thousands fled. The conflict has been simmering for decades.
After Trump intervened and spoke on the phone several times with the heads of government of both countries, Thailand and Cambodia agreed on an “immediate and unconditional” ceasefire at a first meeting in Malaysia at the end of July. Trump had threatened them with economic consequences if the conflict was not resolved.
But Trump didn’t come to Malaysia just for the peace agreement. The US also concluded trade agreements with Thailand and Cambodia. The US President is more often linking his peace efforts to trade deals.
So far, Trump has only attended an Asean summit once – in 2017 during his first term in office in the Philippine capital Manila. In Kuala Lumpur there were protests against his visit on the sidelines of the summit. Hundreds of demonstrators – many with Palestinian flags – gathered near the US Embassy on Saturday. They accused the US president of pursuing a foreign policy that ran counter to their values.
Trump dances at the airport
Trump, on the other hand, started dancing at the airport when he landed in Kuala Lumpur: The Republican was greeted with music by a dance group at the welcome ceremony after getting off Air Force One as he walked the red carpet with Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Trump spontaneously joined in and did somewhat stiff dance steps with jerky arm movements that have now become his trademark. He shows similar performances every now and then at public appearances.
Japan and South Korea as the next stops
After the Asean summit, Trump will travel to Japan on Monday, where meetings are planned with Emperor Naruhito, business representatives and the new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. In South Korea he will then take part in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Busan and speak to entrepreneurs there. The meeting with Xi Jinping in Busan is eagerly awaited.
And North Korea?
Before the trip, the media had speculated whether there might also be a meeting with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un. Trump left that open. In general, he has long since declared his willingness to meet. According to a high-ranking US official, that is not on the agenda for this trip.
Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un met several times during the US president’s first term in office. So far, the US government is sticking to its goal of completely disarming North Korea from nuclear power. The country is subject to far-reaching UN sanctions and additional US sanctions because of its nuclear program.
