Latest news with #ASEAN-Gulf
Barnama
17-07-2025
- Business
- Barnama
New Zealand Seeks Strategic Partnership With Malaysia In Halal Industry, Regional Trade
GENERAL From Ahmad Erwan Othman WELLINGTON, July 17 (Bernama) -- New Zealand has expressed a strong interest in forging closer cooperation with Malaysia in the halal industry and has chosen Malaysia as a key strategic partner, particularly in trade across the Southeast Asian region. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi revealed that this commitment was conveyed by New Zealand's Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Trade, and Investment, Todd McClay, during their bilateral meeting today. 'The New Zealand government aims to be a strategic partner to Malaysia, not only in halal certification but also by leveraging Malaysia as a gateway to the ASEAN market, which has a population exceeding 600 million,' Ahmad Zahid told reporters after the meeting. The discussion followed Ahmad Zahid's visit to the National Crisis Management Centre (Beehive Bunker), New Zealand's strategic government control centre for disaster and emergency response. During the meeting that touched on various strategic matters, Ahmad Zahid said McClay also expressed willingness to accept Malaysian agricultural exports, particularly tropical fruits such as pineapples. Additionally, he said Malaysian companies were invited to invest in New Zealand's construction sector. 'Overall, this meeting reached a strategic agreement to broaden bilateral trade relations, including active New Zealand involvement in platforms such as the ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)-China Summit and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP),' he said. Ahmad Zahid expressed confidence that Malaysia-New Zealand relations will continue to grow as a model of strategic cooperation within the Indo-Pacific region, bringing tangible benefits to the peoples of both nations.
Asahi Shimbun
28-05-2025
- Business
- Asahi Shimbun
ASEAN opens summit with Persian Gulf nations and China as U.S. threatens tariffs
Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Kuwait's Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khalid Al Sabah, Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Philippines' President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Ruler of the UAE's Emirate of Ras al-Khaimah Sheikh Saud bin Saqr al Qasimi, Burunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa, chain their hands as they pose for a group photo at the 2nd ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit after the 46th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on May 27. (AP Photo) KUALA LUMPUR--A regional association of Southeast Asian nations held a summit Tuesday with China and six Persian Gulf countries in efforts to expand economic engagement and bolster resilience amid global trade volatility due to U.S. tariff hikes. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, in his opening remarks, said the inaugural summit in Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur would open up a new chapter of cooperation. The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Gulf Cooperation Council and China have a combined GDP of nearly $25 trillion and a market of over 2 billion people, offering vast opportunities to promote cross-regional investment, he said. 'I am confident that ASEAN, the GCC, and China can draw upon our unique attributes and shape a future that is more connected, more resilient, and more prosperous,' he told the summit, attended by Chinese Premier Li Qiang. Li said the three-way cooperation would benefit all sides, contributing to economic development and peace in the region. China is ASEAN's top trading partner, and has sought to present itself as a reliable ally to the region amid its rivalry with the U.S. The GCC supplies over a third of China's crude oil imports. 'China will join ASEAN and the GCC in forging synergies that multiply,' he said. Malaysia is the current chair of ASEAN, which also includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Earlier Tuesday, Anwar told a separate ASEAN-GCC forum that partnership between the two blocs would be key to navigating an increasingly complex global economy. He later said the two sides planned to launch talks to establish a free trade area. Kuwait's Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khalid Al Sabah said the two blocs, which held their first summit in Riyadh in 2023, would build on their momentum to deepen cooperation and 'improve our ability to face crisis.' He said the GCC is ASEAN's seventh-largest trade partner, with total trade reaching $130.7 billion in 2023. The GCC comprises the oil-producing nations of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Anwar said last week the GCC already has strong links with the U.S. and 'wants to be close to China too.' ASEAN has maintained a policy of neutrality, engaging both Beijing and the United States, but U.S. President Donald Trump's threats of sweeping tariffs came as a blow. Six of the bloc's members were among the worst hit, with tariffs between 32% and 49%. Trump announced a 90-day pause on tariffs in April for most of the world, and this month struck a similar deal with key rival China, easing trade war tensions. ASEAN is seeking a summit with Trump on the tariffs, while moving to expand trade ties with China and others. Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, one of the world's wealthiest men and longest-reigning current monarch, was missing from the three-party summit after he was hospitalized for fatigue. He attended ASEAN summits on Monday and the ASEAN-GCC meeting earlier Tuesday. 'He is feeling a little tired, so he's just resting' at the National Heart Institute, Anwar told reporters. The sultan's office also issued a statement saying the monarch will rest at the heart institute for 'several days' following advice from Malaysian medical experts. It said he was 'in good health' but didn't elaborate. Anwar told a news conference at the end of the summit that ASEAN wasn't pivoting towards China but that it works with both Beijing and Washington because it makes economic sense. 'I don't think (ASEAN) is tilting in any way,' he said. Collins Chong Yew Keat, a foreign affairs, strategy and security analyst with Universiti Malaya, said the ASEAN-GCC-China summit underscored Beijing's efforts to strengthen support during its trade battle with the U.S. He noted it came on the heels of Trump's recent charm offensive in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. While relying on U.S. defense support, ASEAN is increasing reliance and partnership with China and other U.S. rivals, Chong said. The bloc has failed to take strong action against Beijing's aggression in the disputed South China Sea, he said. ASEAN members Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei have overlapping claims with China, which asserts sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea. 'If this continues under the current Trump administration, it will create further room for Washington to distance itself from the region, which will spell disaster and create an even deeper Chinese presence,' he said. This story has been corrected to show that combined ASEAN-GCC-China GDP is nearly $25 trillion, not $25 billion.
The Star
27-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Time for Asean, China, GCC to cooperate amidst rising global challenges, says Li Qiang
KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim stands alongside leaders from ASEAN, Gulf countries, and China during the 2nd ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)-China Summit at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre today. -- fotoBERNAMA (2025) COPYRIGHT RESERVED KUALA LUMPUR: Amidst rising global challenges, Chinese Premier Li Qiang has called for deeper cooperation between Asean, China and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), citing shared opportunities. He said all countries were facing common new challenges and development opportunities. 'In a sense, they are more scarce and valuable. At this juncture, it is more urgent and requires more foresight for us to strengthen cooperation. 'In today's era, if we can work together to meet challenges, we are creating opportunities,' he said in his remarks at the Gala Dinner and opening ceremony of the Asean-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)-China Economic Forum 2025 on Tuesday (May 27). He said economic globalisation was currently experiencing an unprecedented major impact. 'Peaceful development and win-win cooperation, the values we have long adhered to, have been severely challenged. 'Our joint response to these problems will bring important opportunities to countries. 'In the face of geopolitical conflicts and other challenges, we must persist in deepening mutual trust and enhancing unity,' he said. 'Only this way, we can create long-term strategic opportunities," he said. He said that while Asean, the GCC and China make up approximately a quarter of the population and economy, another parameter was that the three sides only account for 5.4% of global trade. 'This tells us we have great room and potential to be tapped into. This is something we must deepen our cooperation towards, for the future. 'I believe that as cooperation between our three sides continues deepening, there will be a steady stream of increasing trade and investment, which will effectively promote our development and the growth of our businesses,' he said. Earlier Tuesday, the inaugural Asean-GCC-China Economic Summit, themed "Synergising Economic Opportunities Towards Shared Prosperity", was held.
The Star
27-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Asean urges nationwide expansion of Myanmar ceasefire; leaders also agree tariff deals with US should not harm members
Myanmar's Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Aung Kyaw Moe attends the 2nd ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit after the 46th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. -- Photo by Jam STA ROSA / AFP KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters): South-East Asian leaders reached an understanding on Tuesday that any bilateral agreements they might strike with the United States on trade tariffs would not harm each others' economies, Malaysia's premier Daruk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said. Anwar, the current chair of the Association of South-East Asian Nations, said there was consensus during a leaders' summit in Kuala Lumpur that any deals negotiated with Washington would ensure the interests of the region as a whole were protected. The Asean meeting came at a time of global market volatility and slowing economic growth, and amid uncertainty over a trade war that has ensued since U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of sweeping "Liberation Day" tariffs. Southeast Asia is among the regions hardest hit by the tariffs, with six of its countries facing levies of between 32% and 49% in July if negotiations on reductions fail. "While proceeding with bilateral negotiations ... the consensus rose to have some sort of understanding with Asean that decisions should not be at the expense of any other country," Anwar told a press conference. "So we will have to protect the turf of 650 or 660 million people," he said of Asean. With a combined gross domestic product of more than $3.8 trillion, Asean members are in a precarious position in relation to the United States, which is the biggest market for the region's exports, key drivers of its growth. Anwar said on Monday that he had written to Trump requesting a meeting on the tariffs between the United States and Asean. Anwar was speaking at the conclusion of the summit on Tuesday, which included an economic gathering of leaders of the Asean bloc, Gulf countries and China, which was represented by Premier Li Qiang. PEACE EFFORT Asean leaders also called for a temporary ceasefire in army-ruled Myanmar to be expanded nationwide, to enable warring sides to build trust and work towards convening dialogue after four years of turmoil. Myanmar has been in crisis since its military overthrew an elected civilian government in 2021, triggering pro-democracy protests that morphed into a widening rebellion, with more than 3.5 million people displaced, according to the United Nations. A devastating earthquake in March that killed more than 3,800 people led to a series of temporary ceasefires in affected areas, a truce that the military government has violated with continued air strikes and artillery attacks, according to data compiled by a conflict monitor and the United Nations. "We further called for the sustained extension and nationwide expansion of the ceasefire in Myanmar, as an initial step towards the cessation of violence," the ASEAN leaders said in a statement. "We encouraged all relevant stakeholders in Myanmar to build trust towards convening an inclusive national dialogue." Anwar hailed "significant" engagement steps on Myanmar on Monday after last month holding a closed-door meeting in Bangkok with junta chief Min Aung Hlaing and virtual talks with the shadow National Unity Government, which is aligned with rebel forces. On Tuesday, Anwar said Asean leaders had agreed that the path forward was to engage all sides in the Myanmar conflict. "Now we have gone to a stage where both parties are now in consultation, although at the lower key level," he said, stressing the need to extend and expand the ceasefire. His remarks come after Maris Sangiampongsa, the foreign minister of Thailand, Myanmar's neighbour, told Reuters he would propose broader international engagement with the junta, which has been ostracised by Western powers, with sanctions imposed on the generals. (By Danial Azhar; Writing by Martin Petty; editing by Sophie Walker) - Reuters
Barnama
27-05-2025
- Business
- Barnama
ASEAN-GCC Strengthen Strategic Ties, Aim For US$180 Bln Trade By 2032
GENERAL Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah attends the 2nd ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit and the inaugural ASEAN-GCC-China Summit at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC). -- fotoBERNAMA (2025) COPYRIGHT RESERVED By Noor Azuki Fahme Ismail KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 (Bernama) -- Leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have agreed to strengthen their broad strategic partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to confront global challenges and seize shared economic opportunities. Kuwait's Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah said the GCC is now ASEAN's seventh-largest trading partner, with total trade reaching US$130.7 billion in 2023. 'We aim to increase this figure to US$180 billion by 2032, as there remains substantial untapped potential in bilateral trade and investment,' he said. The Crown Prince, who is also the President of the current session of the Supreme Council of the GCC, made the remarks during the Second ASEAN-GCC Summit held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre today. He also noted the encouraging rise in foreign investment into Asian markets as a sign of confidence and sustainable economic integration. 'We would like to underscore the importance of continuing cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, investment and the arts, and we look forward to the positive outcomes of free trade agreement negotiations between both sides, which will open up investment opportunities and support regional development,' His Highness added. He said this year's summit played a crucial role in enhancing cooperation between the two regions.
