President Donald Trump’s tariff threats against Thailand and Cambodia pushed them toward ending their deadly border clash this week, showing again his willingness to use a trade war cudgel to stop armed conflict and upstaging China in its own backyard.

The U.S. and China had agreed to pause most of the sky-high tariffs on each others' goods amid trade negotiations – but that pause is set to expire in August.

US and Chinese negotiators wrapped up two days of talks Tuesday without an immediate announcement of a further tariff delay between the world’s two largest economies, but US officials said that still remains an option for President Trump.