Thailand and Cambodia on Thursday signed an expanded ceasefire agreement aimed at preventing renewed clashes along their disputed border — a deal reached under US pressure and witnessed by President Donald Trump.
Under the terms of the agreement, Thailand will release Cambodian prisoners detained during recent skirmishes, while Cambodia will begin withdrawing heavy artillery from contested zones as part of the first phase. Regional observers will be deployed to monitor compliance and verify that fighting does not resume.
“We did something that a lot of people said couldn’t be done,” Trump said at the signing ceremony.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet hailed the move as a “historic day,” while Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the deal lays “the building blocks for a lasting peace.” The two governments have accused each other for years of encroachment and provocation along the border, and periodic flare-ups have displaced civilians and disrupted trade.
US officials say Trump’s threats of economic measures against both countries helped push Bangkok and Phnom Penh toward a settlement earlier this year, and Washington is now positioning itself not just as a security mediator in Southeast Asia, but as an economic partner.
Alongside the ceasefire, the White House announced a set of economic frameworks signed with Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia. Several of the agreements are focused on expanding trade and investment in critical minerals and advanced manufacturing inputs.
The US has been working to reduce its dependence on Chinese-controlled supply chains, especially for rare minerals and components used in high-tech and defense-related industries. Beijing in recent months has restricted exports of key inputs as leverage in trade disputes, prompting Washington to seek alternative sourcing in friendly countries.
“It’s very important that we cooperate as willing partners with each other to ensure that we can have smooth supply chains, secure supply chains, for the quality of life, for our people and security,” US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said.
The agreements mark two parallel US goals in the region: cooling security flashpoints that could destabilize trade routes, and building a network of economic partners to counter China’s dominance in strategic materials.
