Malaysia to Host ASEAN+GCC+China Summit

Malaysia and Indonesia are leading ASEAN talks to coordinate a response after Trump’s new tariffs hit Southeast Asia’s China-linked exporters, raising concerns of deeper regional ties with Beijing.
Malaysia PM Anwar Ibrahim said Friday that Malaysia will consult ASEAN member states to form a collective response to the United States' new reciprocal tariffs, stressing the need to uphold fairness in international trade. (Photo: AFP)

Malaysia will host the first summit between China, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) a key group of Middle Eastern states. The ASEAN+GCC+China summit will mark Malaysia’s chairship of ASEAN. The GCC (which includes Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and Kuwait) and ASEAN are working to increase their mutual trade and investment [PDF] and China is a major partner of both blocs.

Malaysia is positioning itself as a neutral space amid heightened geopolitics. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said: “Strengthening ties with China, the Gulf Cooperation Council, BRICS, and other emerging economies is not about choosing sides. Rather, it is about ensuring ASEAN’s strategic relevance in a multipolar world.”

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by CGSP Staff

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