The ASEAN is looking forward to jointly maintaining multilateral trade
The ASEAN-China-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit symbolizes regional cohesion, which will have a positive impact on the entire world. On the 26th, the 46th ASEAN Summit opened in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. In his opening remarks, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar, the current chair of ASEAN, positively evaluated the trilateral summit to be officially held on the 27th. He said that ASEAN must safeguard the multilateral trading system in order to withstand the challenges brought by uncertainties. In the face of the uncertainties in world trade and the economy caused by the current unilateralist tariff policies, it is of great significance for the global South countries, including ASEAN, China and the Gulf Cooperation Council, to jointly discuss plans for unity, cooperation, development and prosperity, and promote mutually beneficial cooperation across regions.
The ASEAN countries will form a common front.
The 46th ASEAN Summit opened in Kuala Lumpur on the 26th. The theme of this year's ASEAN Summit is "Inclusiveness and Sustainability", which will focus on strengthening regional integration and enhancing the ability to withstand trade risks. According to a report by Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao on the 26th, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar, the rotating chair of ASEAN, said in his opening remarks on the morning of the same day that the global geopolitical order is changing, especially the unilateral tariffs recently implemented by the United States have put further pressure on the global trading system. "We are witnessing protectionism making a comeback," he said. He said that the peace, stability and prosperity of ASEAN depend on an open, inclusive and rule-based international order, as well as the free flow of trade, capital and people. However, "these foundations have been destroyed under the pressure of arbitrary actions."
The Associated Press said that Anwar said on the same day that ASEAN countries would form a common front to deal with the economic resistance and challenges brought by US tariffs. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has decided to establish a working group to uniformly coordinate responses to the US tariff measures. Meanwhile, some member states will also conduct bilateral negotiations with the US side.
The Malay Mail reported on the 26th that Anwar emphasized the ASEAN-China-Gulf Cooperation Council summit in his speech on the same day, saying that the tripartite summit "symbolizes regional cohesion and will have a positive impact on the entire world." Anwar said, "ASEAN must safeguard the multilateral trading system to withstand the challenges brought about by uncertainties." He emphasized that it is necessary to ensure that the ASEAN-China-Gulf Cooperation Council mechanism plays an important role in "building a more inclusive and sustainable future for the region and its people".
The New Straits Times of Malaysia said on the 26th that the trilateral summit is a new initiative launched by Malaysia as the rotating chair of ASEAN and an important milestone in strengthening cooperation among ASEAN, China and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. The Office of the Prime Minister of Malaysia said on the 26th that the trilateral summit will discuss and formulate new strategies covering areas such as trade, investment, development, sustainable infrastructure construction, and regional digitalization. Tengku Nasrul, the senior press secretary of Anwar, said that the combined economic scale of ASEAN, China and the Gulf Cooperation Council amounts to 25 trillion US dollars, covering more than 2 billion people. "This summit will open a new chapter of trilateral cooperation."
According to Reuters, in the afternoon of the same day, the ASEAN Summit officially adopted the "ASEAN Community Vision 2045" and issued the "Kuala Lumpur Declaration", providing guiding opinions and plans for the development of ASEAN in the next 20 years. Anwar said, "The Kuala Lumpur Declaration is not only a development guidance document, but also a common commitment of ASEAN member states to the future of the region, demonstrating the commitment of all countries to multilateralism and their determination for win-win cooperation."
"Join hands to address global challenges"
At noon on the 26th, Premier Li Qiang of The State Council of China arrived in Kuala Lumpur by chartered flight. That afternoon, Li Qiang met in Kuala Lumpur with Crown Prince Sabah of Kuwait, the rotating chair of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), who also came to attend the ASEAN-China-GCC summit. Li Qiang said that China is willing to work with Kuwait to enhance the alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative with Kuwait's National Vision 2035, continuously expand cooperation areas, accelerate the construction of major cooperation projects, deepen cooperation in energy, investment, green economy, digital economy, artificial intelligence and other fields, open up more new Spaces for win-win cooperation, and achieve mutual success on the road of development and rejuvenation.
Sabah said that the Kyrgyz side attaches great importance to developing relations with China and is willing to work together with the Chinese side to actively implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, tap cooperation potential, expand cooperation areas, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges, promote cooperation between the Gulf Cooperation Council and China, enhance communication and coordination on regional and multilateral affairs, and push bilateral relations to a higher level.
On the evening of the 26th, Li Qiang met with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar at the Kuala Lumpur Convention and Exhibition Centre. Li Qiang said that the holding of this ASEAN-China-Gulf Cooperation Council summit is of special significance. Malaysia is the rotating chair of ASEAN and the host country of the trilateral summit. China is willing to closely cooperate with Malaysia. Taking this summit as an opportunity, China will promote closer economic cooperation among the three parties, create a model of global cooperation and development, jointly safeguard free trade and the multilateral trading system, and work together to address global challenges, injecting more stability, certainty and positive energy into the turbulent world.
Anwar said that Malaysia firmly supports multilateralism and China's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. It is willing to work with China to ensure that the first ASEAN-China-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit achieves fruitful results.
The Star of Malaysia said on the 26th that the cooperation among ASEAN, China and the Gulf Cooperation Council will unleash huge potential for multilateral cooperation and inject stability into the world economy. The three parties will deepen practical cooperation in various fields such as trade, investment and supply chain. The tripartite summit marks a new step forward in cross-regional cooperation in the Global South.
The Kuwait News Agency said that against the backdrop of significant changes in the global political economy, the tripartite cooperation will provide new impetus for the global economy. Asman, a researcher at the Asian-Middle East Research and Dialogue Centre in Malaysia, said that currently ASEAN and China are each other's largest trading partners, and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries provide important energy supplies for the development of ASEAN and China. Asman also said that this trilateral summit is not aimed at opposing anyone; it is to enhance the voice of the Global South and "create a more balanced world based on cooperation".
Viron Pichawongpadi, director of the Thailand-China "Belt and Road" Research Center, told the Global Times in an interview on the 26th that the trilateral summit mechanism has brought together three major forces: China is an advocate and industrial leader of global Southern cooperation; The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is the most regionally resilient and cohesive mechanism. The Gulf Cooperation Council is the economic hub and global energy fulcrum of the Arab world. The convergence of the three parties means that for the first time, the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East have established a strategic-level Southern dialogue platform within an institutional framework.
He said that the tripartite mechanism, through the institutionalization of the platform, promotes the alignment and upgrading of the development strategies of all parties. China's Belt and Road Initiative, the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025, and Kuwait's National Vision 2035 all essentially point to high-quality development and institutional opening up, with huge potential for cooperation.
Xu Liping, a researcher at the Institute of Asia-Pacific and Global Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times in an interview on the 26th that the trilateral summit covers the three major regions of East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Middle East, and is an important cross-regional cooperation in Asia. The three parties have strong complementarity in terms of resources, markets and technologies. This cooperation reflects new explorations at the institutional level and mechanism design, providing a sample and reference for similar cooperation in the future.
Global Times Special Correspondent Xin Bin in Singapore, Global Times reporters Xing Xiaojing and Fan Anqi