Trump to resume trade talks with Cambodia, Thailand after truce
'By ending this War, we have saved thousands of lives. I have instructed my Trade Team to restart negotiations on Trade,' Trump said in a social media post on Monday. The president said he had just spoken with both Thailand's Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet to secure the ceasefire.
Trump's remarks are the latest example of how the president has cast trade as a panacea for geopolitical flashpoints, claiming credit for pressuring trading partners to end conflicts if they wish to retain continued access to US markets. The United States in June brokered a deal between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda aimed at ending years of conflict. And Trump has similarly claimed credit for halting a clash between nuclear powers India and Pakistan earlier this year.
Thailand and Cambodia agreed on Monday to halt five days of fighting after talks in Malaysia hosted by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Envoys from China and the US were also at the negotiations, though their roles were not immediately clear. Tensions between the southeast Asian neighbors erupted in recent days with fresh clashes that displaced more than 150,000 civilians on both sides of their 800-kilometre border.
After separate calls with the leaders of those countries on Saturday, Trump had threatened to block trade deals with them if the violence did not stop. Thailand and Cambodia both face 36% levies on Friday if agreements with the US aren't reached.
'We're not going to make a trade deal unless you settle the war,' Trump had said.
In their remarks after the meeting, both the Thai and Cambodian prime ministers thanked the Malaysian prime minister and US president, as well as China, for helping reach the ceasefire.
While Pakistan hailed Trump after its conflict with India was paused, New Delhi has disputed Trump's claims that the prospect of securing trade deals helped clinch that ceasefire. Both India and Pakistan are engaged in trade talks with the US ahead of the Aug 1 deadline.
Trump has said the US stands to get mineral rights from the DRC after brokering their deal. Congo is the second-biggest copper producer and largest source of cobalt, giving it prominence in Washington's efforts to reduce dependence on Chinese supply chains for minerals needed for a wide-range of cutting-edge technologies.
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