Latest news with #ASEAN-China-GCCSummit
Leaders
3 days ago
- Business
- Leaders
Saudis to Get Visa-Free Entry to China
China has granted Saudi travelers visa-free entry for 30 days, in a policy trial that will last for one year, reported the Chinese official news agency Xinhua. During a press briefing on Wednesday, China's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Mao Ning, announced that ordinary passport holders from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain will get visa-free entry to China on a trial basis, starting from June 9, 2025, to June 8, 2026. The announcement followed the ASEAN-China-GCC Summit, which took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, under the theme 'Synergizing Economic Opportunities toward Shared Prosperity.' Under the new policy, the citizens of these four Gulf countries will be able to travel to China for business, sightseeing, visiting relatives or friends, exchanges or transit purposes without needing a visa for entry, Mao explained. 'China now grants visa-free status to all GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries. We welcome more friends from the GCC countries to visit China anytime,' Mao said. Since 2018, the UAE and Qatar have adopted reciprocal visa-free entry policies with China. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has the Approved Destination Status (ADS) with China, an arrangement that took effect on July 1, 2024. This agreement allows Chinese tourists to visit the Kingdom in group tours with simplified visa procedures, cheaper tickets and increased daily flights. Under Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia targets 5 million Chinese tourists by the end of the decade, aiming to make China its third largest source market for international arrivals by 2030, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). To this end, the Kingdom has boosted connectivity with new direct flights by Air China, China Eastern, and China Southern, alongside the existing Saudia flights. It has also introduced tailored products, and developed strategic partnerships to enhance group and Flexible Independent Travel (FIT) experiences. Short link : Post Views: 13
The Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
China, ASEAN, GCC forge innovative trilateral cooperation amid global risks
KUALA LUMPUR: Amid escalating global challenges, China, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have forged a groundbreaking path in cross-regional cooperation. In a historic move, they convened a landmark trilateral summit in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia -- ASEAN's current chair -- marking a bold step toward collective resilience, economic synergy, and a shared vision for prosperity. At the inaugural ASEAN-China-GCC Summit on Tuesday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang called on the three parties to set a global benchmark in openness, development cooperation and cross-civilization integration. His call comes at a critical juncture, as rising protectionism and escalating geopolitical tensions threaten to fracture the international order. Amid global economic headwinds and mounting uncertainties, Li noted that by strengthening connectivity and collaboration, the three sides can forge a vibrant economic circle and a powerful engine for growth, which holds profound significance not only for their respective prosperity but also for advancing peace and development across Asia and the world. 'As some countries are becoming more protectionist and isolationist, the summit was a good initiative and effort to counter these emerging trends,' said Lee Pei May, a political expert at the International Islamic University Malaysia. 'The summit proves that economies can complement rather than compete with one another, easing the worries that countries can only develop if they turn inward,' Lee added. At the tripartite gathering, Li urged all sides to work together to build a model of global cooperation and development in three aspects -- creating a model of cross-region openness, forging a model of cooperation across different development stages, and fostering a model of cross-civilization integration. At the summit, the leaders committed to further strengthening Belt and Road cooperation, with a focus on deepening ties in connectivity, trade, industrial and supply chains, agriculture, energy, finance, and the digital economy. They pledged to accelerate trilateral integration, fostering robust, inclusive, and sustainable development for all. The summit adopted a joint statement, which was hailed as 'detailed, elaborate' and a strong message of trilateral solidarity and cooperation by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. In the joint statement, the relevant countries acknowledged their joint efforts to promote closer cooperation between ASEAN, GCC and China, and China's vision to build a closer ASEAN-China community with a shared future and a China-Arab community with a shared future in the new era. Andrew Kam Jia Yi, senior research fellow with the Institute of Malaysian and International Studies at the National University of Malaysia, said the summit highlights how the strengths of each party can complement one another. 'The GCC's energy and financial resources, ASEAN's growing consumer base, and China's technological and financial capacities together create more resilient supply chains and boost food and energy security for all,' he said. Following the summit, Li also delivered remarks at the opening ceremony of the ASEAN-China-GCC Economic Forum 2025. He emphasized China's commitment to energizing trilateral cooperation through its high-quality development, pledging to firmly expand high-level opening up, promote mutual reinforcement between domestic and international circulations and share the opportunities of China's development with countries of ASEAN and GCC, and enterprises from around the world. The trilateral cooperation mechanism not only fosters collaborative agreements across regions, but creates a novel platform of communication and dialogue for the Global South countries to closely coordinate on regional and international affairs and amplify their voices on the global stage. The joint statement recognizes the need to strengthen confidence in the rules-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core, and reaffirms the countries' resolve to make economic globalization more open, inclusive, balanced, and beneficial to their peoples and future generations. During talks with other leaders on the sidelines of the summit, the Chinese premier voiced China's readiness to push for a greater role of the Global South in improving global governance. In his meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Li said that China looks to strengthen communication and cooperation with Vietnam and jointly protect the common interests of the Global South countries. During their meeting a day before the summit, Li told Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, crown prince of Kuwait, that China is committed to strengthening communication and coordination with Kuwait through various multilateral platforms to push for more just and equitable global governance and a more harmonious, stable and prosperous world. The trilateral summit 'encourages other regions to pursue similar models of collaboration,' Kam said. 'It is a sign of growing solidarity, where countries of the Global South are working together to shape their own futures, assert their priorities on the global stage, and build a more equitable and stable world order from the ground up,' the scholar added.¦
The Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
China, ASEAN, GCC boost trilateral ties amid global challenges
KUALA LUMPUR: Amid escalating global challenges, China, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have forged a groundbreaking path in cross-regional cooperation. In a historic move, they convened a landmark trilateral summit in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia -- ASEAN's current chair -- marking a bold step toward collective resilience, economic synergy, and a shared vision for prosperity. At the inaugural ASEAN-China-GCC Summit on Tuesday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang called on the three parties to set a global benchmark in openness, development cooperation and cross-civilization integration. His call comes at a critical juncture, as rising protectionism and escalating geopolitical tensions threaten to fracture the international order. Amid global economic headwinds and mounting uncertainties, Li noted that by strengthening connectivity and collaboration, the three sides can forge a vibrant economic circle and a powerful engine for growth, which holds profound significance not only for their respective prosperity but also for advancing peace and development across Asia and the world. 'As some countries are becoming more protectionist and isolationist, the summit was a good initiative and effort to counter these emerging trends,' said Lee Pei May, a political expert at the International Islamic University Malaysia. 'The summit proves that economies can complement rather than compete with one another, easing the worries that countries can only develop if they turn inward,' Lee added. At the tripartite gathering, Li urged all sides to work together to build a model of global cooperation and development in three aspects -- creating a model of cross-region openness, forging a model of cooperation across different development stages, and fostering a model of cross-civilization integration. At the summit, the leaders committed to further strengthening Belt and Road cooperation, with a focus on deepening ties in connectivity, trade, industrial and supply chains, agriculture, energy, finance, and the digital economy. They pledged to accelerate trilateral integration, fostering robust, inclusive, and sustainable development for all. The summit adopted a joint statement, which was hailed as 'detailed, elaborate' and a strong message of trilateral solidarity and cooperation by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. In the joint statement, the relevant countries acknowledged their joint efforts to promote closer cooperation between ASEAN, GCC and China, and China's vision to build a closer ASEAN-China community with a shared future and a China-Arab community with a shared future in the new era. Andrew Kam Jia Yi, senior research fellow with the Institute of Malaysian and International Studies at the National University of Malaysia, said the summit highlights how the strengths of each party can complement one another. 'The GCC's energy and financial resources, ASEAN's growing consumer base, and China's technological and financial capacities together create more resilient supply chains and boost food and energy security for all,' he said. Following the summit, Li also delivered remarks at the opening ceremony of the ASEAN-China-GCC Economic Forum 2025. He emphasized China's commitment to energizing trilateral cooperation through its high-quality development, pledging to firmly expand high-level opening up, promote mutual reinforcement between domestic and international circulations and share the opportunities of China's development with countries of ASEAN and GCC, and enterprises from around the world. The trilateral cooperation mechanism not only fosters collaborative agreements across regions, but creates a novel platform of communication and dialogue for the Global South countries to closely coordinate on regional and international affairs and amplify their voices on the global stage. The joint statement recognizes the need to strengthen confidence in the rules-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core, and reaffirms the countries' resolve to make economic globalization more open, inclusive, balanced, and beneficial to their peoples and future generations. During talks with other leaders on the sidelines of the summit, the Chinese premier voiced China's readiness to push for a greater role of the Global South in improving global governance. In his meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Li said that China looks to strengthen communication and cooperation with Vietnam and jointly protect the common interests of the Global South countries. During their meeting a day before the summit, Li told Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, crown prince of Kuwait, that China is committed to strengthening communication and coordination with Kuwait through various multilateral platforms to push for more just and equitable global governance and a more harmonious, stable and prosperous world. The trilateral summit 'encourages other regions to pursue similar models of collaboration,' Kam said. 'It is a sign of growing solidarity, where countries of the Global South are working together to shape their own futures, assert their priorities on the global stage, and build a more equitable and stable world order from the ground up,' the scholar added.¦
Malaysia Sun
4 days ago
- Business
- Malaysia Sun
Premier Li pledges stronger strategic alignment with ASEAN, GCC for common development
Li noted China will firmly expand high-level opening up and promote mutual reinforcement between domestic and international circulations, sharing the opportunities of China's development with countries of ASEAN and GCC, and enterprises from around the world. KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Tuesday that China is ready to strengthen the alignment of development strategies with ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and the GCC (the Gulf Cooperation Council) countries, continuously opening up new prospects for common development. Li made the remarks when addressing the opening ceremony of the ASEAN-China-GCC Economic Forum 2025. The successful convening of the ASEAN-China-GCC Summit opened up a new chapter in trilateral cooperation, Li said, adding that the summit featured in-depth discussions on the theme of "Synergizing Economic Opportunities towards Shared Prosperity," which held great significance. He said in today's world, joining hands to address challenges is in itself a way of creating opportunities. In the face of escalating geopolitical conflicts and confrontations, Li said, it is believed that staying committed to deepening mutual trust and enhancing solidarity can create long-term strategic opportunities and achieve sustained and stable development. In the face of rising protectionism and unilateralism, staying committed to greater openness and the removal of barriers can unlock vast market opportunities and allow all countries to share in more substantial benefits through the joint development of a large and integrated market, he said. In the face of more moves toward decoupling and the erection of walls and barriers, staying committed to resource sharing and mutual empowerment can create opportunities for transformation and upgrading, as well as enhancing industrial efficiency and the momentum for sustainable development in all countries. Li pointed out that the friendly cooperation among China, ASEAN and GCC countries has a long history and deep roots. Standing on such a solid historical foundation, trilateral cooperation is bound to deliver new achievements and a brighter future, Li said, adding that there will be broader space for development, higher levels of economic efficiency and a more vibrant innovation ecosystem for the three sides. China is ready to work with countries of ASEAN and GCC to strengthen the alignment of development strategies, deepen regional integration, resolutely uphold the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core, maintain stable and unimpeded industrial and supply chains, and continuously open up new prospects for common development, Li said. Li stressed that China will continue to inject new momentum into trilateral cooperation through its high-quality development. Speaking of development trends, China's economy has shown a continued recovery and improvement since the beginning of this year, fully demonstrating its strong resilience, Li said. As Chinese President Xi Jinping pointed out, "the Chinese economy is not a pond, but an ocean," Li noted. The ocean can withstand the test of fierce storms, emerging even more profound and substantial, more inclusive and open after the tempest subsides, he added. Noting that China has clearly articulated a more proactive macro policy orientation, and will continue to strengthen counter-cyclical adjustments, Li said the Chinese side has the ability and confidence to keep the Chinese economy sailing steadily and far. Strategically, China will focus more on expanding domestic demand and strengthening domestic circulation, continuously enhancing the intrinsic driving forces of the economy, the premier said. Li noted China will firmly expand high-level opening up and promote mutual reinforcement between domestic and international circulations, sharing the opportunities of China's development with countries of ASEAN and GCC, and enterprises from around the world. When addressing the opening ceremony of the forum, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the inaugural ASEAN-China-GCC Summit issued a joint statement, sending a strong message of trilateral solidarity and cooperation. Anwar noted that China is an important partner for countries of ASEAN and GCC, playing an important role in promoting economic development, maintaining peace and stability, and upholding international fairness and justice. ASEAN adheres to the principles of independence and self-reliance, and is committed to deepening its partnerships with China and the GCC, and reinforcing mutually beneficial cooperation in areas such as economy, trade and investment to make greater contributions to regional and global prosperity and stability, said Anwar.
Malaysia Sun
4 days ago
- Business
- Malaysia Sun
Full text: Remarks by Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the ASEAN-China-GCC Summit
KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday addressed the ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations)-China-GCC (the Gulf Cooperation Council) Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The following is the full text of his remarks at the summit: Remarks by H.E. Li Qiang Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China At the ASEAN-China-GCC Summit Kuala Lumpur, May 27, 2025 Your Honorable Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Your Highness Crown Prince Sabah Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Colleagues, It gives me great pleasure to join you in Kuala Lumpur. First of all, the Chinese side would like to extend sincere appreciation to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for his vision in proposing the ASEAN-China-GCC Summit. We also wish to express our heartfelt thanks to the Malaysian government for the dedicated efforts and thoughtful arrangements made for the summit. China, ASEAN and GCC countries have a long history of friendly interactions, with exchanges and cooperation between us spanning thousands of years from the ancient Silk Road to the Belt and Road Initiative. Today, against a volatile international landscape and sluggish global growth, the establishment of the ASEAN-China-GCC Summit creates a platform for exchanges and a mechanism for cooperation. It is a groundbreaking initiative in regional economic cooperation that has carried forward the legacy of history, and more importantly, answered the call of the times. If we take a look at the world map and draw a line between China, ASEAN and the GCC, we will get a big triangle. As we know, triangle is the most stable structure. By enhancing connectivity and cooperation, we can pool our resources, production capacity and markets to foster a vibrant economic circle and growth pole. This is highly important both to our respective economic prosperity and to peace and development in Asia and the world. We should firmly seize this historic opportunity to enrich the trilateral cooperation, and set a fine example for global cooperation and development in this era. First, we should set a fine example of opening up across regions. Together, China, ASEAN and the GCC account for roughly a quarter of the world's population and economic output. Our markets, if fully connected, will generate even greater space for development and more substantial economies of scale. The China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 upgrade negotiations have been fully concluded. It is hoped that the negotiations for the China-GCC Free Trade Agreement can also be concluded as early as possible to take trilateral trade to a higher level. We should firmly expand regional opening up, and develop a big market with more efficient mobility of resources, technologies and talents and enhanced trade and investment liberalization and facilitation to fully unlock the huge potential of open development. Second, we should set a fine example of cooperation across development stages. Countries of the three sides are at different stages of development, yet we should not let these differences stand in the way of our cooperation, but transform them into complementary strengths that we can harness. China is ready to, on the basis of mutual respect and equality, work with ASEAN and the GCC to strengthen the alignment of development strategies, increase macro policy coordination, and deepen collaboration on industrial specialization. We should make efforts to turn our respective strengths into collective strengths, and help each other tackle development challenges. We should create a new model of international industrial and economic cooperation, and strive for coordinated development where everyone does its level best, efficiency is multiplied, and benefits are shared. Third, we should set a fine example of inter-civilization integration. Countries of the three sides have diverse civilizations. At the same time, we all belong to the same Asian family and share the same Asian values of peace, cooperation, openness and inclusiveness. We should deepen people-to-people exchanges to further consolidate the foundation for mutual trust. We should effectively manage differences in the spirit of mutual understanding, advance win-win cooperation through the exchange of ideas, and explore a new way for promoting the inclusiveness and common progress of different civilizations. China actively supports Prime Minister Anwar's initiative on Islam-Confucianism dialogue. We are ready to work with ASEAN and the GCC to implement the Global Civilization Initiative, promote mutual learning among civilizations, and pool more consensus and strengths for peace and development. Today, we have established the trilateral cooperation mechanism and drawn up a promising vision of joint development. What's more important now is for all sides to take concrete actions and advance substantive cooperation. Between our three sides, we should work together to promote cooperation in key areas and achieve more effective common development. China is ready to discuss with ASEAN and the GCC a trilateral action plan on high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. We should enhance synergy and connectivity in infrastructure, market rules and payment systems, actively consider establishing a regional business council, deepen economic integration, and make development more resilient and efficient. While expanding cooperation in traditional areas such as energy and agriculture, we also need to step up cooperation in emerging areas such as AI, the digital economy, and green and low-carbon development to foster and cultivate new growth drivers. We should also respond to our people's aspiration for enduring friendship, and deepen people-to-people exchanges. To promote travels and people-to-people bond between the three sides, China has decided to roll out an "ASEAN visa" for Southeast Asian countries offering five-year multiple-entry visas to eligible applicants for business and other purposes, and to extend unilateral visa-free policy to Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain on a trial basis, which will effectively give visa-free status to all GCC countries. At the global level, we should always stand on the right side of history and add more positive energy to world peace and development. We should pursue equal, mutually beneficial, open, inclusive, practical and efficient cooperation, and, through our example, encourage the international community to uphold multilateralism and free trade and reject unilateralism and protectionism. China will work with ASEAN and GCC countries to step up communication and coordination in multilateral mechanisms including the United Nations, vigorously defend the common interests of developing countries, categorically oppose hegemonism and power politics, and make global governance more just and equitable. As President Xi Jinping noted, "For us to break through the mist and embrace a bright future, the biggest strength comes from cooperation, and the most effective way is through solidarity." China will join ASEAN and the GCC in fostering synergies that multiply rather than simply add our individual strengths, and inject strong impetus into our common development and prosperity. I am confident that through our concerted efforts, trilateral cooperation will continue to produce positive results and deliver more benefits to our people, thereby making greater contributions to peace and development in Asia and the world. Thank you.
