The US President Pressures Thailand to Reaffirm Commitment to Cambodian Ceasefire with ‘Threat of Tariffs’
Washington has exerted influence on the Thai administration to reaffirm its dedication to a ceasefire agreement with the Cambodian side, warning that trade talks could be suspended as efforts are made to stop a Donald Trump-brokered ceasefire arrangement from falling apart.
Rising Border Hostilities
In recent days, Thai officials declared it was suspending the ceasefire deal, accusing Cambodian forces of planting new explosives along the mutual frontier, among them an incident that allegedly wounded a Thai military personnel on patrol, who suffered a foot amputation in the explosion.
Since then, a fatality occurred and multiple individuals injured by exchanges of fire along the border between the two nations, sparking fears of a fresh wave of retaliatory clashes.
American Economic Leverage
Over the weekend, a representative from Thailand's foreign office told journalists that a official communication from the U.S. trade office declaring the suspension of trade deal talks was received on Friday night.
The spokesperson referenced the document as saying that trade negotiations – which are addressing a US tariff of 19% – could resume once the Thai government reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the mutual truce agreement.
“Tariff negotiations will continue and remain separate from border issues,” stated a different official representative.
Trump’s Tariff Threat
Addressing reporters aboard the presidential plane as he traveled to the Sunshine State on Friday, the US leader implied that he had used the “threat of tariffs” 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,” adding, “they are performing well. I believe they will be okay.”
Truce Deal Origins
The President witnessed the finalization of a ceasefire agreement, conducted in Malaysian territory this last autumn, and has touted it as one of several deals around the world he says should earn him the Nobel Peace prize.
The most severe clashes in a decade between Thai and Cambodian troops erupted in mid-summer, with gunfire, artillery and airstrikes leaving dozens of people killed and 300,000 displaced.
Longstanding Border Dispute
Thailand and Cambodia have a historic territorial disagreement that dates back to disagreements over colonial-era maps created by French cartographers. Ancient temples along the frontier are disputed by each nation.
International news agency contributed to this report.
