Trump Signs Asia Trade Pacts, Brokers Ceasefire

President Donald Trump kicked off a five-day Asia trip in Kuala Lumpur, where he signed reciprocal trade pacts with Malaysia, Cambodia and Thailand and a framework pact with Vietnam aimed at reducing U.S. trade imbalances, opening markets for American farm goods, and addressing tariff and non-tariff barriers while retaining overall tariffs (about 19% generally, 20% for Vietnam) with some items slated for reductions to zero. The agreements include cooperation on critical-minerals processing and exports to diversify supply chains as China tightens rare-earth and refining controls, and Malaysia agreed not to impose export quotas. On the sidelines, Trump presided over an expanded ceasefire agreement between Cambodia and Thailand that leaders called historic and that the White House touted as a diplomatic success. The deals were explicitly timed ahead of his upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping; his itinerary also includes stops in Japan and potential engagement related to North Korea. His arrival produced viral footage of him dancing with Malaysian performers on the tarmac, which drew broad social-media and commentary attention.