Thailand refused to sign a humiliating agreement, putting the White House in a difficult position, with China playing a key role behind the scenes!
Recently, Bangkok suddenly announced the suspension of the peace agreement signed last month with Cambodia. In response, the White House promptly stated that it would terminate trade negotiations with Thailand. What are the considerations for both sides?
It turns out that the White House, without completing the final negotiations with Thailand, unilaterally announced that "a comprehensive trade agreement with Thailand is about to be reached." According to the content disclosed by the US side, the agreement requires Thailand to fully open its market to American goods, including significantly lowering tariffs, eliminating non-tariff barriers, and committing to purchase U.S. agricultural products worth billions of dollars—such as soybeans, corn, and pork. However, at the end of the White House press release, it casually added a sentence: "The agreement still needs further consultation with the Thai side."
This approach of "announcing first, then negotiating" is extremely rare. It is equivalent to publicizing an agreement that has not yet been signed as an accomplished fact, creating significant public pressure on Thailand. If Thailand refuses later, it will be interpreted as "not cooperating with the United States"; if it accepts, it means ceding economic sovereignty under unequal terms. This is clearly a "soft coercion" strategy.
Facing this situation, Thailand did not immediately respond but chose silence. However, silence does not mean passivity. Within two weeks of the United States announcing the agreement, the King of Thailand made a rare visit to Beijing personally. During the visit, China and Thailand not only reaffirmed their comprehensive strategic partnership but also signed 12 cooperation memorandums covering railway construction, digital economy, green energy, and agricultural product trade.
The most notable among them was China's agreement to import no less than $8 billion in tropical fruits, rubber, and cassava products from Thailand over the next three years, and to support Chinese enterprises in participating in the industrial upgrading projects of Thailand's Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC).
In 2024, bilateral trade between China and Thailand reached $112 billion, with China continuing to be Thailand's largest trading partner for the 11th consecutive year. In comparison, Thailand-US trade in 2024 amounted to only $56 billion. In other words, Thailand's reliance on the US market is declining, while its economic ties with China are becoming increasingly close.
Thailand's sudden suspension of the agreement and the implementation with Cambodia actually sends a clear signal: Bangkok is unwilling to sign a humiliating agreement with the United States.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1848917738907785/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author.