Trump Opens Trip With Trade Deals in Southeast Asia
- noemieviterale
- Oct 27
- 1 min read
The U.S. announced agreements on Sunday with Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia, securing support for its efforts to pressure China on trade and critical minerals.
While the statements did not mention China, to varying degrees they signaled each country’s support for Mr. Trump’s aim to reduce China’s stranglehold on some of the most important materials that go into a wide array of products, such as batteries, smartphones and magnets for fighter jets.
In addition, the statements included language that the countries would coordinate with Washington on combating unfair trade practices. This could mean that if the United States uses sanctions to penalize a Chinese entity, “These countries are going to have to respect that,” said Steve Okun, head of APAC Advisors, a geopolitical consulting firm.
“It advances the principle that the U.S. says, ‘We need to de-risk from China,’” Mr. Okun said.
