This is more like giving context to a two-month-old story than news:
How Trump’s Tariffs Helped Thwart a War in Southeast Asiahttps://townhall.com/columnists/logan-blakeslee/2025/09/14/how-trumps-tariffs-helped-thwart-a-war-in-southeast-asia-n2663063It is nothing short of a miracle, then, that a full-scale war between Cambodia and Thailand was averted in late July 2025. This victory for peace was the result of efforts from several nations, particularly members of the ASEAN organization such as Malaysia. For reference, ASEAN is a joint security and trade partnership of several Southeast Asian countries.
Looking outside Asia, one key player stands out in the final ceasefire agreement: the United States. Actions taken by U.S. President Donald Trump provide one of the clearest examples of a truly non-interventionist America. By using economic incentives rather than threats of military force, Trump set himself apart from his most recent predecessors in the White House.
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While tariffs have generally sparked negative reactions worldwide, a case can be made for their careful, calculated use to achieve specific foreign policy goals.
ASEAN has voiced opposition to U.S. trade tariffs. Despite this, the organization refused to retaliate with tariffs of its own. Preserving strong trade relations with the United States remains ASEAN’s top economic priority. This gave Trump an opening. He realized that the mere threat of tariffs could prove highly effective, especially once fighting broke out between Thailand and Cambodia.
Initially, Thailand rejected an American offer to mediate the conflict. Yet just one day later, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Trump engaged in direct communication with leaders of both nations—a major step forward in the negotiation process. What changed the Thai government’s mind so quickly? It seems Trump’s declaration that tariff negotiations would be paused until “fighting STOPS” convinced Thailand to come to the table.
What the MSM consistently choose to ignore is that Trump is a negotiator, a deal-maker. What Dems and their shills derided as "TACO" was Trump "persuading" other countries that negotiating mutually beneficial trade deals would be preferable to,
"Nice tariffs and regs you got there ... it'd be a shame if ...". In this case, Trump's tactic was, "You can come to the table, or you can experience consequences." Economically, I think Thailand is doing better than third-world average, Cambodia much less so. But even stronger Thailand would not have enjoyed economic consequences.
WRT the reference to French colonialism in SEA, the area was and had been a tribal hodgepodge for centuries before the French came along. Sometimes overgrown city-state kingdoms, sometimes regional near-empires, sometimes even dominated/ruled by China. Whatever the "sins" of the French, the current conflicts and tensions would still be.
