Trump's diplomacy is nudging Thailand toward China

CommentBangkok's response to the Cambodia conflict highlights a broader shift across Southeast AsiaThai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, center, shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump, right, as Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet looks on during a Thailand-Cambodia peace accord ceremony in Malaysia in October 2025. Renewed fighting months later allowed China to assume a larger mediation role. © ReutersTORU TAKAHASHIAugust 2, 2026 10:04 JSTTOKYO -- The ASEAN Regional Forum, which brings together 27 countries and territories, caps a week of ASEAN-led foreign ministers' meetings held every July. The meetings remain Asia's largest and longest-running forum for multilateral dialogue.