Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, left, and US President Donald Trump, right, watch as Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, second left, and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet hold a document after the signing ceremony of a ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia on the sidelines of the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Sunday October 26, 2025.

Mohd Rasfan/POOL AFP/AP

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Mohd Rasfan/POOL AFP/AP

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Thailand and Cambodia signed an expanded ceasefire agreement Sunday during a ceremony attended by U.S. President Donald Trump, whose threats of economic pressure prompted the two nations to stop skirmishes along their disputed border earlier this year.

Thailand will release Cambodian prisoners and Cambodia will begin removing heavy artillery as part of the first phase of the deal. Regional observers will monitor the situation to ensure that fighting does not resume.

“We did something that a lot of people said couldn’t be done,” Trump said. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet called it a “historic day,” and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the deal creates “the foundation for lasting peace.”

The ceremony was Trump’s first event after arriving at the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, held in Kuala Lumpur. The trip, which will continue with visits to Japan and South Korea and a possible meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, is a chance for Trump to burnish his reputation as an international negotiator at a time when his tariffs have rattled the international economy and he is fighting with Democrats over a government shutdown at home.

Trump landed in the Malaysian capital shortly before 02:00 GMT, where he performed his signature campaign dance with local performers and waved an American flag in one hand and a Malaysian flag in the other.

The president signed economic agreements with Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia, some of them aimed at increasing trade in critical minerals. The United States wants to rely less on China, which has limited exports of key components in technology manufacturing.

“It is very important that we cooperate as willing partners with each other to ensure that we can have smooth and secure supply chains, for quality of life, for our people and security,” said US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

Trump recommits to a key region of the world

The president attended this summit only once during his first term, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared unfamiliar with ASEAN during his confirmation hearing in January.

But this year’s event was a chance for Trump to reengage with a set of nations that have a combined economy of $3.8 trillion and 680 million people.

“America is with you 100% and we intend to be a strong partner and friend for many generations to come,” Trump said. He described his counterparts as “spectacular leaders” and said, “everything you touch turns to gold.”

The summit also allowed Trump to act as a global peacemaker with Thailand and Cambodia, which have competing territorial claims that result in periodic violence along their border. Some of the worst modern fighting between the two countries took place over five days in July, killing dozens and displacing hundreds of thousands of people.

Trump threatened, at the time, to suspend trade deals unless the fighting stopped, in a show of economic clout that is credited with spurring negotiations. An uneasy truce has persisted since then.

“The fact that Trump had the tariff letter was actually very, very significant,” said Ou Virak, president of the Phnom Penh think tank Future Forum. “That’s probably the main reason, if not the only one, but definitely the main reason why the two sides immediately agreed to the ceasefire.”

Now, he said, “there is a ceremony to get Trump in front of the cameras” so he can be “seen as the champion who ends wars and conflicts,” giving him “more ammunition for his candidacy for the Nobel Peace Prize.”

Trump has explicitly campaigned for that honor, continually adding to a list of conflicts he helped resolve or claims to have ended.

US President Donald Trump attends the signing ceremony of a ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia on the sidelines of the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sunday, October 26, 2025.

Mohd Rasfan/POOL AFP/AP

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Mohd Rasfan/POOL AFP/AP

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim praised the agreement between Thailand and Cambodia during the summit’s opening remarks, saying it “reminds us that reconciliation is not a concession, but an act of courage.”

Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Nikorndej Balankura described Saturday’s agreement as a “joint statement” that will demonstrate that Thailand and Cambodia “are committed to renewing their relations.”

“It’s not an end in itself,” Nikorndej said. “The work has just begun.”

Tariffs are the focus of Trump’s trip

Trump is expected to sit down with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva while in Kuala Lumpur, but not with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. The American leader is angry at Canada over a television ad protesting its tariffs, and on the way to the summit he announced on social media that he would raise tariffs on Canada for that reason.

Another trade war takes center stage in Trump’s trip: in this case, with China. Trump told reporters traveling with him on Air Force One that he was optimistic that his meeting with Xi, expected to take place in South Korea, could lead to progress on a range of issues. Fentanyl trafficking and soy sales are among Trump’s priorities.

“I think we have a very good chance of reaching a very comprehensive agreement,” Trump said. “I want our farmers to be taken care of. And he wants things too.”

It remains to be seen whether Trump’s deals address long-standing issues or postpone them for another day.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested on Sunday that Washington and Beijing could take a step back in their confrontation rather than press ahead with higher tariffs by the United States and restrictions on the export of rare earth elements by China.

Asked if the two countries could expand on the trade truth from earlier this year, Bessent said: “I would say yes.” However, he emphasized that the final decision would be up to Trump.

During the trip, Trump has expressed confidence about the prospect of finalizing trade deals with Japan and South Korea, two long-standing allies and trading partners.

“We have agreements with a lot of people and they are very good,” he told reporters traveling with him on Air Force One.

One leader who was absent from the Kuala Lumpur summit is Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Although he was close to Trump during his first term, the relationship has been more strained lately. Trump caused irritation by boasting about resolving a recent conflict between India and Pakistan and raising tariffs on India for its purchase of Russian oil.