Latest news with #Asean-GCC-ChinaSummit
The Star
29-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
Asean must focus on building a more integrated and resilient economy, says Anwar
JAKARTA: It is imperative that Asean focus its energies inward, towards building a more integrated and resilient economy in facing today's global economic headwinds, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. In his policy speech delivered at the Asean secretariat here on Tuesday (July 29), the Prime Minister, who is also the current chair of the grouping, said the region is home to a vast and vibrant market of 660 million people. "The potential is undeniable but to realise it fully, we must narrow the existing development gaps and forge stronger, more equitable economic linkages across member states,' he said. According to Anwar, at the 47th Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Asean will once again demonstrate its collective commitment towards improving the unimpeded flow of goods within the region. "Through renewed efforts to reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers, we are taking meaningful steps towards creating a more seamless and dynamic Asean economic community that works for all," he said. The Prime Minister said the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is central to this vision. "As the world's largest trade agreement, it reinforces Asean's role as the linchpin of regional economic architecture. "We expect the 5th RCEP leaders' meeting to also take place on the sidelines of the 47th Asean Summit, thus presenting an opportunity for us to ensure that RCEP delivers tangible benefits for our businesses, workers and communities,' he said. Anwar also said the grouping looks forward to strengthening its position in an increasingly competitive global economy. "We must also do more to ensure that businesses can operate with confidence and clarity across our borders,' he added. The Prime Minister said the success of the Asean-GCC-China Summit is a clear signal that Asean is ready to build new bridges and unlock new partnerships. "It also reaffirms our shared determination to shape a future based on mutual respect, shared growth and strategic cooperation." Anwar said the digital economy will be a key driver of Asean's next phase of growth. "That is why the region is increasing efforts to conclude the Asean Digital Economy Framework Agreement while modernising existing trade agreements with strategic partners, including China, India and South Korea," he said. These efforts reflect Asean's readiness to embrace change and position the grouping at the forefront of digital transformation, he added. According to Anwar, Asean must be an agent of change - one that has the capacity to shape the global rules and norms to remain open, inclusive and firmly rooted in the principle of justice. He said Asean's commitment to regionalism and multilateralism remains the anchor of the region's collective stability and progress. "As an outward-looking organisation in a multipolar world, Asean must continue to punch above its weight by broadening its global partnerships. "Deepening ties and strategic links with diverse partners is not a choice - it is a strategic imperative. But we should engage as equals. And above all, we must be the speakers and not the spoken for,' he added. Anwar is currently in Indonesia for a two-day working visit for the 13th Malaysia-Indonesia Annual Consultation. Earlier, he was welcomed by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto at Istana Merdeka in Central Jakarta. Both leaders then proceeded to a one-on-one meeting to discuss a range of bilateral issues. - Bernama
New Straits Times
29-07-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Malaysia shows the way through quiet diplomacy, principled mediation
In a region often pulled between the ambitions of global powers, Malaysia has quietly reaffirmed a different kind of leadership — one rooted in dignity, balance, and regional agency. The recent breakthrough in Thailand-Cambodia border talks, facilitated under Malaysia as Asean Chairman, is more than a diplomatic milestone. It reflects a deeper narrative: Asean's ability to resolve its own disputes and Malaysia's role in guiding that process through civilisational diplomacy. This renewed regional agency was personified by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, whose quiet yet decisive leadership helped broker the ceasefire. Malaysia's facilitation was intentional: to rebuild trust within the region, not to outsource peace efforts to distant powers. This decision aligns with Malaysia's Asean Chairmanship theme: "Inclusivity and Sustainability." Malaysia's approach affirms its identity as a principled middle power and a quiet architect of peace. Malaysia has shown that regional stability can be cultivated through inclusive dialogue and cultural depth, not geopolitical dependency. Anwar's intervention exemplifies this posture. Behind closed doors, he convened both sides, navigated nationalist sensitivities, and secured an immediate ceasefire. His ability to balance regional trust with global respect — welcoming observers from the US and China while keeping Asean at the centre — demonstrates Malaysia's non-aligned strength. Malaysia's example offers a different narrative: one where civilisational wisdom meets strategic relevance, and where Asean speaks not as a proxy, but as a sovereign collective committed to peace. As Asean enters a more complex geopolitical era, this approach offers a strategic and symbolic compass for future engagements. Malaysia's historical role as a mediator in regional conflicts — from the Mindanao peace process to the southern Thailand insurgency — has earned it a reputation for neutrality, trustworthiness, and moral clarity. These qualities are not incidental; they stem from a worldview where diplomacy is not transactional, but transformational. This legacy also includes Malaysia's role as Asean Chair in 2005, when it hosted the First East Asia Summit (EAS) in Kuala Lumpur. Amid rising tensions between Japan and China, Malaysia provided a neutral and dignified platform for dialogue — ensuring that strategic disagreements did not derail regional cooperation. While not a direct mediator, Malaysia's convening power reflected its capability of fostering trust and restraint among major powers. The latest Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire is a continuation of this legacy. It shows that civilisational diplomacy anchored in cultural resonance and ethical depth can succeed where conventional power politics falter. Malaysia's leadership in hosting the recent Asean-GCC-China Summit reflects a growing recognition that civilisational diplomacy is not a cultural ornament — it is a strategic asset. By convening diverse traditions — Islamic, Confucian, and Southeast Asian — Malaysia is helping to shape a multipolar future grounded in mutual respect, shared values, and regional agency. This posture is not about nostalgia or soft power branding. It is about redefining diplomacy as a moral and cultural undertaking, capable of addressing today's complex challenges — from climate resilience to digital ethics — with communal wisdom and inclusive governance. In an era where diplomacy is often reduced to power metrics and transactional gains, Malaysia offers Asean another path, one shaped by narrative stewardship and civilisational clarity. In doing so, Malaysia is helping Asean rediscover its voice as a principled community capable of shaping a more inclusive, sustainable, and peaceful regional order.
Borneo Post
29-07-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
PM Anwar: Asean must focus on building more integrated, resilient economy
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. – Bernama photo JAKARTA (July 29): It is imperative that Asean focus its energies inward, towards building a more integrated and resilient economy in facing today's global economic headwinds, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. In his policy speech on Asean delivered at the Asean Secretariat here on Tuesday, Anwar, who is also the current chair of the grouping, said the region is home to a vast and vibrant market of 660 million people. 'The potential is undeniable, but to realise it fully, we must narrow the existing development gaps and forge stronger, more equitable economic linkages across member states,' he said. According to Anwar, at the 47th Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Asean will once again demonstrate its collective commitment towards improving the unimpeded flow of goods within the region. Through renewed efforts to reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers, we are taking meaningful steps towards creating a more seamless and dynamic Asean economic community that works for all, not just for some, he said. The prime minister said the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is central to this vision. As the world's largest trade agreement, it reinforces Asean's role as the linchpin of regional economic architecture. 'We expect the 5th RCEP Leaders' Meeting to also take place on the sidelines of the 47th Asean Summit, thus presenting an opportunity for us to ensure that RCEP delivers tangible benefits for our businesses, workers, and communities,' said Anwar. According to the prime minister, as the bloc looks to strengthen Asean's position in an increasingly competitive global economy, 'we must also do more to ensure that businesses can operate with confidence and clarity across our borders'. He said the success of the Asean-GCC-China Summit is a clear signal that Asean is ready to build new bridges and unlock new partnerships. It also reaffirms Asean's shared determination to shape a future based on mutual respect, shared growth, and strategic cooperation. Anwar said the digital economy will be a key driver of Asean's next phase of growth. That is why the region is advancing efforts to conclude the Asean Digital Economy Framework Agreement, while modernising existing trade agreements with strategic partners including China, India and South Korea. These efforts reflect Asean's readiness to embrace change and position it at the forefront of digital transformation, he said. According to Anwar, Asean must be an agent of change – one that has the capacity to shape the global rules and norms to remain open, inclusive and firmly rooted in the principle of justice He said Asean's commitment to regionalism and multilateralism remains the anchor of the region's collective stability and progress. 'As an outward-looking organisation in a multipolar world, Asean must continue to punch above its weight by broadening its global partnerships. Deepening ties and strategic links with diverse partners is not a choice – it is a strategic imperative. But we should engage as equals. And above all, we must be the speakers and not the spoken for,' he added. – Bernama Anwar Ibrahim asean economy geopolitical
The Sun
24-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Asean's greatest strength is unity
DESPITE US President Donald Trump's trademarked unpredictability – now popularly coined 'Taco' (Trump Always Chickens Out) – one thing has become increasingly certain: Southeast Asian countries now have major targets on their backs. With six Asean members receiving tariff letters in the first round from Washington, Trump has stepped up his public display of frustration towards the bloc's collectively export-oriented economies. With a 25% tariff slapped on Malaysia and other varying amounts across Southeast Asian states, Asean members must ramp up their collective efforts to revitalise regional diplomacy to help immunise the bloc against uncertainties and external shocks. Kuala Lumpur's recent hosting of the Asean-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit and the inaugural Asean-GCC-China Summit illustrates the bloc's multivector diplomacy in action. Rather than adhering to traditional non-alignment to avoid entanglements, Asean has pioneered a strategy of multialignment, actively leveraging multiple partnerships for competitive advantage. Amid multitude of conflicts in the Middle East and ongoing tensions along the Thai-Cambodian border, global and regional instability only underscores the urgency with which Asean must advance its strategic multialignment approach. Strategic posture in the new multipolar order Asean's strategic multialignment differs fundamentally from the Cold War-era non-alignment. Instead of avoiding great power entanglements, Asean is cultivating diversified partnerships to maximise leverage and minimise dependency. The numbers tell the story. In 2024, Asean's trade with China grew by 15%, trade with the US increased by 12% and trade with the EU rose by 18%, proving that strategic diversification works. Bilateral agreements recently signed with China by Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand are not pledges of trade allegiance but calculated moves to reap economic benefits while preserving political independence. Singapore exemplifies this approach, having signed US$8.2 billion (RM35 billion) worth of new agreements with China in 2024 while simultaneously deepening defence cooperation with the US and expanding trade partnerships with the EU. This is strategic multiplication of options, which is a necessity. Furthermore, initiatives like the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, which has already reduced tariffs on 65% of traded goods within 18 months of implementation, institutionalise this balancing act, enabling the bloc to foster multilateral ties globally without compromising strategic autonomy. The result? Countries like Vietnam now source 23% of their foreign domestic investment from China, 19% from Japan, 15% from South Korea and 12% from the US – a diversification that would have been impossible under canonical alignment models. Regional economic growth Southeast Asia is emerging as a rare economic bright spot in an increasingly fragmented global landscape. The regional economy grew by 4.3% in 2024 and GDP is projected to continue expanding at around 4% in 2025, despite ongoing external headwinds. The Asean-GCC partnership alone is projected to generate US$50 billion in new trade flows by 2027 while the region's digital economy is set to reach US$1 trillion by 2030. The deepening integration between Asean, GCC and China – representing over 2.15 billion people and combined GDP nearing US$25 trillion – signals transformative potential for regional growth. In 2024 alone, this bloc attracted US$419 billion in FDI (30% of global inflows), highlighting its collective economic resilience. Over the past three years, Asean member states have strategically broadened their partnerships, signing comprehensive agreements with countries such as Japan, Australia, India and South Korea, generating over US$200 billion in new investment commitments. Beyond traditional manufacturing, Asean is positioning itself as the world's blue economy hub, with maritime industries contributing US$2.4 trillion annually to the region's GDP. Pragmatic diversification and 'third way' in diplomacy Within boardrooms in Asean, the conversation has shifted from 'How do we avoid taking sides?' to 'How do we benefit from all sides?' – a marked progress in the region's strategic decision-making. Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's recent visit to Russia resulted in US$10 billion worth of energy and technology agreements while maintaining Malaysia's existing US$80.2 billion trade relationship with the US. This is not diplomatic fence-sitting but strategic portfolio management. Diversification is the absolute key. Conclusion The shift from selective engagement to strategic multialignment shows that middle powers can shape the contours of the global order. Regional leaders should now focus on institutionalising these partnerships through formalising mechanisms of permanent secretariats, standardised trade protocols and integrated supply chain agreements. What we are witnessing is Asean nations prioritising pragmatic partnerships over ideological alignment, which anchors diplomacy in balance and not bias. Regionalism rooted in shared interests can be a proactive force in an increasingly fragmented world, a viable path to long-term stability in a multipolar era. Vijay Eswaran is the founder and executive chairman of the QI Group and has built businesses across Asean markets for over 25 years. He is a frequent commentator on Southeast Asian affairs. Comments: letters@
New Straits Times
17-07-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Malaysia, NZ to strengthen disaster management ties, boost regional preparedness
WELLINGTON: Malaysia and New Zealand have the potential to enhance bilateral cooperation in disaster management through a more holistic approach, following Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's visit to New Zealand's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), also known as the Beehive Bunker, today. The visit, part of the final day of his five-day official working trip to the country, is expected to open new avenues to reinforce emergency and disaster management collaboration between the two nations. Zahid, who also chairs Malaysia's Central Disaster Management Committee (JPBP), said the visit was more than symbolic and carried a mission to expand strategic cooperation. This includes sharing information, disaster safety education and training, rescue simulations, and logistical coordination for disaster victims. "After the visit to NEMA, I held a bilateral meeting with New Zealand's Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Trade and Investment, Todd McClay. "I shared my experience at the Beehive Bunker and welcomed the effort to finalise a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on disaster management between Malaysia and New Zealand ahead of the Asean-New Zealand Commemorative Summit in October," he told reporters. Zahid also expressed Malaysia's readiness to work hand-in-hand with New Zealand in strengthening regional disaster preparedness. During the meeting, McClay also expressed interest in Malaysia's halal industry, aiming to become a strategic partner not only in certification but also as a gateway to the Asean market of over 600 million people. Zahid said New Zealand was also open to importing more Malaysian agricultural products, particularly tropical fruits like pineapples. In return, McClay expressed his country's commitment to opening more investment opportunities for Malaysian companies in New Zealand's construction sector. "Overall, the meeting reached a strategic consensus to expand bilateral trade relations, including New Zealand's active involvement in platforms such as the Asean-GCC-China Summit and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), aimed at strengthening Indo-Pacific economic integration. "God willing, with mutual commitment, Malaysia-New Zealand ties will not only remain strong but continue to grow as a regional strategic cooperation model that brings tangible benefits to the people of both countries," he said.
