US President Donald Trump has reportedly set specific conditions for his attendance at the upcoming ASEAN Summit, slated for the end of October. According to sources cited by Politico, the President is willing to participate but only if he can personally preside over the signing ceremony of a peace agreement between Cambodia and Thailand. This information comes from three individuals reportedly close to the ongoing negotiations, who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the discussions.
The White House is currently in talks with Malaysia, the rotating chair of ASEAN, regarding President Trump’s participation in the summit, scheduled from October 26 to 28. A central demand from the US administration is that President Trump must oversee the finalization of the peace accord between the two Southeast Asian nations.
Furthermore, the White House has allegedly requested that China be excluded from the peace agreement signing ceremony. The stated rationale for this exclusion is that China did not play a direct role in the peace talks between Cambodia and Thailand. An official involved confirmed this, asserting, “The US president is negotiating this peace agreement. [China] did not play a role in the negotiations.”
These demands have placed the Malaysian government in a challenging position. Another official indicated that while negotiations are ongoing, Malaysia faces a dilemma, as acquiescing to President Trump’s requests could potentially displease Beijing, a crucial trading partner for Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysia has previously played a significant facilitative role in de-escalating tensions between Cambodia and Thailand. Following a five-day border conflict in July, which saw cross-border incursions and firing, Malaysia was instrumental in brokering a ceasefire between the two countries. In the aftermath of this ceasefire, Cambodia notably announced its intention to nominate President Trump as a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize, a gesture also considered by other nations at the time.
