The US President Pressures Thailand to Recommit to Cambodian Ceasefire with Trade Penalties
The United States has applied pressure on Thailand to reaffirm its dedication to a truce deal with Cambodia, stating that trade talks could be halted as efforts are made to prevent a Donald Trump-brokered peace agreement from collapsing.
Border Tensions Escalate
In recent days, Thailand declared it was putting on hold the ceasefire deal, alleging Cambodian forces of planting new explosives along the shared border, including one that reportedly injured a Thai military personnel on duty, who lost a foot in the explosion.
Since then, one person has been killed and several others wounded 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 representative from Thailand's foreign office told journalists that a letter from the Office of the US Trade Representative announcing the suspension of trade deal talks was received on the previous evening.
He quoted the letter as saying that trade negotiations – which are focusing on a US tariff of 19% – could resume once Thailand reaffirmed its commitment 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 implied that he had employed tariff warnings in discussions with the ASEAN nation heads.
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
Trump oversaw the signing of a peace deal, conducted in Malaysian territory this October, and has promoted it as one of multiple agreements around the globe he says should earn him the Nobel Peace prize.
The most severe clashes in a decade between military forces of both nations broke out in mid-summer, with exchanges of fire, shelling and aerial attacks causing numerous fatalities and 300,000 displaced.
Historic Frontier Conflict
The two neighboring countries have a historic territorial disagreement that originates from disagreements over maps from the colonial period created by French cartographers. Ancient temples along the frontier are disputed by each nation.
International news agency contributed to this report.
