Thai government denies rumors of using military cooperation as leverage for trade negotiations with the US
Bloomberg reported, citing sources, that the Thai government may have plans to use security and military cooperation as a condition for negotiating tariffs with the United States. The report mentioned a potential review of the Cobra Gold joint military exercise, which is one of the largest military drills in the region.
Following the publication of the report, the Thai government explicitly denied the information, confirming that there is no policy to use military relations as a tool for economic or tariff negotiations with trading partners such as the US.
Cobra Gold is an annual military exercise held between Thailand, the United States, and other partner nations. It is of great importance for maintaining security in Southeast Asia and serves as a testament to the long-standing positive relationship between the armed forces of both countries.
At present, both sides continue to maintain normal diplomatic and trade relations, with no changes to security policies as suggested in the news report. The Thai government emphasized that negotiations regarding tariffs and trade will continue to be conducted through standard channels and in accordance with international principles.