US President Donald Trump has said he is willing to attend the Asean summit in Malaysia later this month – as long as he can preside over the signing of a peace agreement between Thailand and Cambodia, according to the US news site Politico.
The White House has made Trump’s attendance at the Oct 26-28 meeting in Kuala Lumpur conditional on the staging of a signing ceremony on the summit sidelines, Politico quoted three people familiar with the plans as saying
The sources declined to be identified due the sensitivity of the topic.
The White House has also specifically requested that summit organisers exclude Chinese officials from the ceremonial event, the sources said.
‘Keeping China out would help ensure the spotlight stays on Trump, while also downplaying Beijing’s efforts to mediate between Bangkok and Phnom Penh,’ Politico noted.
Trump has made no secret of the fact that he is obsessed with winning the Nobel Peace Prize. In recent months he has claimed credit for ending as many as seven international conflicts. That includes nudging the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia to agree on a ceasefire after a five-day clash in July.
The winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Price will be announced on Friday.
The White House denied that Trump was linking his presence at the summit to a peace deal ceremony.
‘The president is negotiating this peace agreement, but this was not identified as a condition to attend the summit,’ a senior administration official granted anonymity told Politico.
But the White House also said that China wasn’t relevant to the ongoing peace negotiations.
‘The president negotiated this deal. . China hasn’t played a role in these negotiations,’ the administration official added.
The Chinese embassy did not respond to a request for comment.
‘Talks are ongoing, but the Malaysian government is in a difficult position,’ one of the other three sources told Politico.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, in his role as the Asean chair, said in July that Trump would be attending the summit. If he accedes to a specific request, Anwar could appear to be appeasing an American president who is deeply unpopular in Malaysia.
In any case, the likelihood that a peace agreement between Thailand and Cambodia could be finalised in the next two or three weeks is very slim.
Thai and Cambodian forces briefly exchanged gunfire last month, and Thailand’s refusal to reopen border crossings underscores a level of ongoing distrust between the two countries.