US President Donald Trump hit the ground running on the first leg of his Asian tour yesterday, announcing a slew of trade agreements in Malaysia and joining the signing of an expanded truce between Thailand and Cambodia that he brokered in July.
Within six hours of landing in Kuala Lumpur for the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Trump announced trade deals with four countries, met regional leaders and held talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who said their teams would immediately start tariff discussions.
Trump also said he was confident of hammering out a deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of an expected meeting on Thursday, as top trade officials from both sides met for a second day in Kuala Lumpur and agreed on a framework for a trade agreement.
Top billing for Trump yesterday was the signing of an agreement between Cambodia and Thailand, building on a ceasefire reached after he intervened to halt deadly border clashes, earning him a Nobel Peace Prize nomination by Cambodia.
At a ceremony with the Thai and Cambodian leaders against a backdrop covered in US insignia and the words ‘Delivering Peace’, Trump, who has touted himself as a global truce-broker, said the agreement demonstrated his administration’s pursuit of peace “in every region where we can do it”.
“My administration immediately began working to prevent the conflict from escalating,” Trump said.
“Everybody was sort of amazed that we got it done so quickly.”
On arriving in Malaysia, Trump was greeted by Malaysia’s premier and a troupe of ceremonial dancers, stopping briefly on the red carpet to dance with performers.
The US would maintain a tariff rate of 19 per cent on most exports from Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia, while a 20pc rate on Vietnam will also be retained, the White House said.
Speaking alongside Lula, Trump expressed confidence of making “some pretty good deals for both countries”.
A meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was not on the cards after talks between the neighbours came to an abrupt end.
Trump said on Saturday he was increasing tariffs on Canada by an additional 10pc “above what they’re paying now”.
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