Washington has exerted influence on Thailand to reaffirm its dedication to a ceasefire agreement with the Cambodian side, indicating that trade talks could be halted as attempts are made to prevent a Trump-mediated ceasefire arrangement from collapsing.
Border Tensions Escalate
Earlier this week, Thai officials announced it was suspending the truce agreement, accusing Cambodia of planting new explosives along the shared border, including one that allegedly injured a Thai military personnel on patrol, who suffered a foot amputation in the explosion.
Since then, one person has been killed and multiple individuals injured by gunfire along the Thai-Cambodia frontier, raising concerns of a new round of tit-for-tat fighting.
American Economic Leverage
On Saturday, a Thai foreign ministry spokesperson told journalists that a official communication from the U.S. trade office declaring the suspension of trade deal talks was obtained on Friday night.
The spokesperson referenced the document as saying that trade negotiations – which are focusing on a 19 percent American duty – could restart once Thailand reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the joint ceasefire declaration.
“Tariff negotiations will continue and remain separate from border issues,” stated another government spokesperson.
Trump’s Tariff Threat
Speaking to the press on Air Force One as he flew to Florida on the end of the week, Trump implied that he had employed tariff warnings in calls with the south-east Asian leaders.
The US president said, “I stopped a war just today through the use of tariffs, the threat of tariffs,” continuing, “they are performing well. I believe they will be okay.”
Ceasefire Agreement Background
The President witnessed the finalization of a peace deal, held in Malaysia this last autumn, and has promoted it as one of several deals 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.
Longstanding Border Dispute
The two neighboring countries have a longstanding border dispute that originates from conflicts regarding maps from the colonial period created by French cartographers. Historic shrines along the frontier are disputed by each nation.
Reuters provided input for this coverage.
