The US President Pressures Thailand to Recommit to Cambodian Ceasefire with Tariff Warnings
The United States has applied pressure on Thailand to recommit to a truce deal with the Cambodian side, indicating that trade talks could be halted as attempts are made to prevent a Donald Trump-brokered ceasefire arrangement from collapsing.
Rising Border Hostilities
Earlier this week, Thai officials announced it was putting on hold the ceasefire deal, accusing Cambodian forces of laying fresh landmines along the shared border, among them an incident that allegedly wounded a Thai military personnel on duty, who suffered a foot amputation in the blast.
Since then, a fatality occurred and several others wounded by gunfire along the border between the two nations, sparking fears of a fresh wave of retaliatory clashes.
US Trade Pressure
Over the weekend, a representative from Thailand's foreign office informed reporters that a official communication from the Office of the US Trade Representative declaring the suspension of trade deal talks was obtained on the previous evening.
He quoted the document as saying that trade negotiations – which are addressing a US tariff of 19% – could resume once Thailand renewed its pledge to carrying out the joint ceasefire declaration.
“Tariff negotiations will continue and remain separate from border issues,” stated another government spokesperson.
President’s Economic Warning
Addressing reporters aboard the presidential plane as he flew to Florida on Friday, Trump suggested that he had used the “threat of tariffs” in discussions with the south-east Asian leaders.
He stated, “I stopped a war just today through the use of tariffs, the threat of tariffs,” adding, “they’re doing great. I think they’re gonna be fine.”
Ceasefire Agreement Background
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 Thai and Cambodian troops broke out in mid-summer, with exchanges of fire, shelling and aerial attacks causing numerous fatalities and hundreds of thousands forced to flee.
Historic Frontier Conflict
The two neighboring countries have a longstanding border dispute that dates back to disagreements over maps from the colonial period created by French cartographers. Historic shrines along the border are disputed by each nation.
International news agency contributed to this report.
