Trump presided over a “peace deal” between Thailand and Cambodia

It was, as everyone knew it would be, all about US President Donald Trump.

He literally towered over everyone else at the ceremony in Kuala Lumpur where Cambodia and Thailand signed their agreement. He gave the longest speech – and made the biggest claims.

It was all superlatives.

“This is an important day for Southeast Asia,” Trump said. “Monumental step”.

Describing the two slightly sheepish-looking prime ministers who would sign the deal as “historic figures”, Trump recalled at length how he became embroiled in the Thai-Cambodian border conflict while visiting his Turnberry golf course in Scotland in July.

“And I said it’s a lot more important than a game of golf. . . . I could have had a lot of fun, but this is a lot more fun . . . saving people and saving countries.”

Trump requested this special ceremony as a condition of coming to the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a meeting that US presidents have sometimes attended in the past, but not always. And he used it to push his campaign to be recognized as a great peacemaker.

“The eight wars that my administration ended in eight months — there’s never been anything like it,” he said. “On average we have one a month… I wouldn’t say it’s a hobby because it’s much more serious, but something I’m good at and something I love to do.”

But what exactly is the “Kuala Lumpur Peace Agreement,” as Trump has renamed it?

Recall that both sides signed an armistice in July.

That, too, was aided—or at least accelerated—by Trump’s push.

Looking at the details of the latest deal, however, it’s not much of a leap forward.

The two sides agreed to withdraw their heavy weapons from the disputed border and set up a temporary observation team to monitor it.

They have a new procedure for disarming landmines and will create what they call a joint task force to deal with the proliferation of fraud centers.

They will replace the missing boundary marks with temporary ones.

That’s progress — and Thai diplomats told me they think Trump’s involvement could help keep those agreements.

But on historical differences along the border remain unresolved and are at risk of re-flaring.

After the ceremony, Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow refused to call it a peace agreement – instead sticking to his own preferred title, “Joint Declaration by the Prime Ministers of Thailand and Cambodia on the Results of their Meeting in Kuala Lumpur,” which doesn’t roll off the tongue.

“I would call it a path to peace,” was as far as Sihasak was willing to go — a far cry from Trump’s expansive claims about it.

“It’s an extremely easy deal for the president of the United States to be president,” posted Sebastian Strangio, author and Southeast Asia editor at Diplomat magazine.

Cambodia has been much more enthusiastic, but has always sought to internationalize its dispute with Thailand – taking it to the International Court of Justice – something Thailand disagrees with.

At the ceremony, Prime Minister Hun Maneh heaped praise on the US president – reminding him that his government had nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Thai Prime Minister Anuthin Charvirakul was more cautious — mindful of nationalist pressure at home not to give away too much to Cambodia, a problem Cambodia’s authoritarian government need not worry about.

Thailand has always insisted that the dispute should be resolved bilaterally, without external mediation.

It said it appreciated Trump’s support and described the US and Malaysia as only “facilitating” the deal.

Neither country – nor the rest of ASEAN – could afford to reject Trump’s request for this ceremony.

Southeast Asia is the most export-dependent region in the world, much more dependent on the US market than China.

He’s had a tough year, living under the existential threat posed by Trump’s initial tariffs – up to 48% – and going through the tough negotiations to get them down to a more manageable 19-20%.

Trump doesn’t even stay for most of the ASEAN summit.

After several bilateral meetings and dinner, he is off to Japan and then to a meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), another multilateral grouping that opposes his brutal transactional style, but where he hopes to restore relations with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

But the mere presence of the US president here in Kuala Lumpur for 24 hours, ASEAN hopes, will help restore some stability in their relationship.