Malaysia hosts inaugural ASEAN-GCC-China summit

• Chinese Premier Li says Beijing willing to further strategic alignment with ASEAN, GCC
• Malaysian Premier Anwar says China, Gulf countries 'booming with fantastic achievements'

ISTANBUL

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and China held their inaugural trilateral summit in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.

Malaysia, as the rotating chair of the ASEAN, hosted the summit after the regional bloc's two-day summit in the capital.

Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, the president of the current session of the Supreme Council of the GCC, China’s Premier Li Qiang, ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn, Malaysia's Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan and Malaysian Premier Anwar Ibrahim all attended.

Li said that China is willing to further the strategic alignment with ASEAN and GCC on the basis of mutual respect and equal treatment, as well as enhance coordination of macroeconomic policies, according to the Xinhua News.

Li additionally urged the three sides to support each other in addressing new challenges in development, and to foster new models of international industrial and economic cooperation, as well as urging them to build their areas into a large shared market, while expressing willingness to the early completion of talks on free trade area agreement between various parties and the GCC at an early date.

Anwar, in his opening remarks, stressed the summit's inaugural status for the three regions, according to the Malaysia's state news agency Bernama.

"These are regions booming with fantastic achievements. The GCC has become a center of financial strength, artificial intelligence, and digital innovation, with energy remaining its core pillar," Anwar said, noting how China has pushed far beyond its borders, affecting both the region and the world on economic fronts.

The summit provided a platform for the leaders to "exchange views on ways to strengthen economic resilience and shared prosperity across ASEAN, GCC and China, as well as for global prosperity," said a statement from ASEAN on X.

Malaysia-GCC Free Trade Agreement was also signed on Monday by the relevant parties.

Sultan of Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet, Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, the Philippines' President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, and Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra all attended as ASEAN leaders.

Timor-Leste’s Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao also attended the summit as an observer.