President Donald Trump kicked off his Asia tour with a headline-grabbing peace ceremony in Malaysia.
Leaders of Cambodia and Thailand have signed a truce aimed at ending one of their worst border conflicts in recent history.
The ceasefire agreement was one of several high-profile deals sealed on Sunday, including sweeping trade accords with Southeast Asian nations and critical discussions with world leaders, per the Guardian.
“Delivering Peace” at ASEAN: Trump Claims Ceasefire Could Save Millions
At a ceremony in Kuala Lumpur marked by a large “Delivering Peace” sign, Trump stood alongside Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul as they finalized a truce that followed deadly clashes in July.
The conflict left at least 66 dead and displaced hundreds of thousands.
“Millions of people are alive today because of this peace treaty,” Trump said, celebrating the deal that involved a military pullback, landmine removal, and the release of 18 Cambodian soldiers detained by Thailand.
“Reflecting the gratitude of the Cambodian people, I have nominated President Donald J. Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. He saved lives,” said Hun Manet.
Anutin added: “This declaration reflects our will to resolve differences peacefully in full respect of sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Manet also remarked: “This declaration, if fully implemented, will provide the building blocks for a lasting peace, but more importantly, it will begin the process of mending our ties.”
Trump Calls Out the United Nations
While celebrating the accord, Trump took a moment to criticize the United Nations for its lack of involvement, as reported by The New York Post.
“The United Nations should be doing this, but they don’t do it. They don’t do it. They turned off my teleprompter. When I made a speech, I had to make a speech without a teleprompter. They’re good at that. The escalator wasn’t working too well. It came to a complete halt,” Trump said.
“But, I mean, the United Nations has such great potential. I wish they could do it. They didn’t get involved with us at all. We just did the deal and reported the deal, and everybody was sort of amazed that we got it done so quickly and so nicely.”
“It’s Something I Love to Do”: Trump Eyes More Global Conflicts
Trump described his peace efforts as more than just a pastime.
“I shouldn’t say it’s a hobby, because it’s so much more serious than a hobby, but it’s something that I’m good at, and it’s something I love to do,” he said, expressing interest in resolving the Afghanistan-Pakistan conflict and the Russia-Ukraine war.
“I heard that Pakistan and Afghanistan have started up. But I’ll get that solved very quickly,” he added.
Trade Deals Bring Billions in Economic Commitments
In exchange for peace and cooperation, the United States signed major trade deals with Cambodia, Thailand, and Malaysia.
Trump had previously threatened high tariffs on Cambodian and Thai exports if the violence continued. After the ceasefire, he slashed tariffs from as high as 49% to as low as 19%.
New agreements are expected to reduce reciprocal tariffs to potentially “zero percent” on some goods.
- Cambodia will see tariff rates on most clothing exports reduced to between 7% and 15%, and has committed to buying 10 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.
- Thailand pledged $2.6 billion in agricultural purchases and $5.4 billion in American energy buys, including liquefied natural gas. It also plans to buy 80 US-made aircraft worth $18.8 billion.
- Malaysia committed to purchasing 30 planes, $150 billion in US technology hardware including semiconductors, $3.4 billion annually in liquefied natural gas, $204 million in coal and telecom goods, and $70 billion in US investments.
Trump’s trip continues in South Korea, where he is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.