ASEAN-GCC-China Trilateral Summit Marks Milestone in Multipolar Cooperation: Anwar Ibrahim
Kuala Lumpur, The Gulf Observer: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has hailed the convening of the inaugural ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)-China Summit as a significant achievement in reshaping cooperation frameworks to reflect the evolving dynamics of a multipolar world.
According to the Prime Minister’s Senior Press Secretary, Tunku Nashrul Abaidah, the historic trilateral summit — taking place on Tuesday as part of the 46th ASEAN Summit — underscores the strength of unity among regional blocs and is poised to generate a positive global impact.
“Today sees a major focus on strengthening ASEAN’s cooperation with strategic partners through the hosting of the 2nd ASEAN-GCC Summit and the first-ever ASEAN-GCC-China Trilateral Summit,” he said during the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Daily Briefing, broadcast live via the official Facebook pages of Anwar Ibrahim and PMO Malaysia.
He noted that both summits aim to explore concrete measures to enhance collaboration in trade, investment, and sustainable development, in alignment with ASEAN’s ambition to assume a more prominent role in the Indo-Pacific geoeconomic architecture.
Tunku Nashrul also emphasised the combined economic significance of the three entities — ASEAN, GCC, and China — whose aggregated economic output now approaches US$25 trillion (RM104 trillion), representing a population exceeding two billion people.
ASEAN alone stands as the world’s fifth-largest economy, boasting a GDP of US$3.8 trillion (RM15.9 trillion), while China continues to be ASEAN’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade amounting to US$696.7 billion (RM2.9 trillion).
In addition to the two high-level summits, Tuesday’s agenda features the 16th East ASEAN Growth Area–Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines (BIMP-EAGA) Summit and the 16th Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) Summit.
“These subregional platforms are expected to accelerate development agendas and enhance cross-border connectivity between the participating nations,” he said.
The suite of summits — held as part of the 46th ASEAN Summit — reflects ASEAN’s strategic commitment to deepening regional and global partnerships in a rapidly changing international landscape.
