Maritime Chain Crucial To ASEAN-GCC-China Economic Ties

Barnama

4 days ago

By Harizah Hanim Mohamed
KUALA LUMPUR, May 25 (Bernama) – A maritime value chain that facilitates shipping connectivity and secures sea lanes, along with the ability to counter disruptions, is vital for ASEAN, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and China in their quest to consolidate tripartite economic cooperation and integration.
'Comprehensive maritime connectivity is crucial in ASEAN, Asia and the Gulf where 90 per cent of regional trade relies on shipping,' said Ang Chip Hup, former national consultant for the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
Besides this, over 60 per cent of global maritime trade passes through ASEAN waters including the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea, making shipping and port infrastructure vital for economic growth.
He cited how there were better opportunities for maritime connectivity by expanding into these regions through an enhanced ASEAN Single Shipping Network.
'Such a move was possible by increasing feeder ports from China to the Gulf via ASEAN, thereby reducing congestion at major hubs,' he told Bernama ahead of the 46th ASEAN Summit, ASEAN-GCC Summit and the ASEAN-GCC-China Summit here on May 26 to May 27, 2025.
Malaysia, as this year's rotating Chair of ASEAN, is hosting the inaugural trilateral summit with the GCC, China, and Southeast Asian nations under the Chairmanship theme of 'Inclusivity and Sustainability.'
Amid disruptions to trade precipitated by debilitating tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on 168 countries, including some of the highest tariffs on some ASEAN countries and China, countries are looking to deepen integration to be self-reliant trade-wise.
Ang said that economies should also look into expanding Port Community Systems (PCS) for real-time cargo tracking and emphasise on green and efficient shipping.