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The National
3 days ago
- Business
- The National
The Gulf and South-East Asia show civilisations can work together, despite their differences
The second summit between the Association of South-East Asian Nations and the Gulf Co-operation Council wound up in Kuala Lumpur around lunchtime on Tuesday. In the afternoon, the regional groupings were joined by China, for the first ever Asean-GCC-China trilateral. Did the gatherings constitute one of the 'most substantive' milestones in 10-nation Asean's history, as this year's chair, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, put it? Was the trilateral 'historic', as the Malaysian academic Phar Kim Beng argued last week, because 'it institutionalises symmetry among three civilisational spheres – maritime South-East Asia, the Islamic Gulf, and Confucian China'? Or was the Asean-GCC meeting a small and incremental step forward for two very different regional blocs, with the addition of an extra meeting with China that may turn out to have been a one-off? There may be elements of truth in all three statements. Mr Anwar made a confident case, saying he thought 'the Asean-GCC partnership has never been more vital than it is today'. He pointed to both region's centuries of history as trading hubs, mentioning that Oman and the Malaysian city of Malacca had both served as 'strategic crossroads that linked East and West, demonstrating the power of openness, exchange and strategic connectivity'. Kuwait's Crown Prince, Sheikh Sabah Al Khaled Al Sabah, also called the partnership 'vital'. He said: 'Together our 16 nations represent immense economic and human potential, with a combined GDP nearing $6 trillion and a population of about 740 million.' The total trade volume between the two blocs stood at $131 billion in 2023, he added – a figure he expected to rise to $180 billion by 2026. 'The growth in GCC-Asean trade, along with rising Gulf investments in Asian markets, reflects mutual confidence and deepening economic integration.' Chinese Premier Li Qiang said that Beijing was 'willing to join hands with Asean and the GCC to fully harness the synergy of one plus one plus one being greater than three, and inject powerful momentum into the common development and prosperity of our three sides' and that 'differences are not obstacles to co-operation – rather, they present opportunities for complementarity'. Prof Phar Kim Beng's at-times rather poetic essay also pointed out that 'when senior officials discuss port interoperability, halal certification frameworks, or AI governance standards, they are doing more than negotiating terms – they are creating a shared civilisational grammar … China's Digital Silk Road, the GCC's green hydrogen corridors, and Asean's biodiversity-based value chains are not competing blueprints. They are complementary avenues for creating value – and values – across regions that refuse to be passive recipients of a waning Bretton Woods system'. There should be a kind of magic, even a touch of romantic idealism, about trying to bring these two regions (and China) closer There's no doubting that the sentiment between the leaders, ministers and officials in the meeting halls was warm and genuine. Timor-Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao – present because his country is expecting to join Asean later this year – spread the joy when he unexpectedly handed out chocolates to reporters waiting outside the ballroom at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre after the first of Tuesday's summits. 'Take it, you've waited so long,' he told them with a smile. The summits also concluded with a joint statement that underlined the commitments of Asean, the GCC and China to peace, stability, dialogue, development, mutual respect and co-operation, non-interference into the internal affairs of others, and to strengthening collaboration between the regions. But that doesn't mean that getting there was easy or that concrete results will automatically follow without much further work. Negotiations in the run-up to the summits were 'hard', I'm told by a senior official involved. There were substantial differences in style and process between the GCC and Asean – which is not surprising, considering how different their make-ups are. The GCC countries are all Arab Muslim and the amount they have in common may aid faster decision-making. Asean, on the other hand, is made up of states with so many different faiths and ethnicities that the region was once known as 'the Balkans of Asia'. The association is used to a very measured – critics would say laboured – way of reaching conclusions. I'm told that some on the GCC side were pushing for a mutual free trade agreement fast, whereas some Asean members were suggesting that the GCC should consider joining the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership – a free trade agreement that includes all Asean countries, plus China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. 'And in any case,' one other official said to me, 'the Asean way is that we can't take a formal decision without doing a study first.' Differences in approach may have led to some misunderstandings. Some on the Asean side felt their GCC counterparts didn't always appreciate the advances some of their countries had made. On the other hand, perhaps because of its long and deep institutional relations with Beijing, there is a danger that Asean overestimates the extent to which it is needed as a 'bridge' between the Gulf and China – two parties that now know each other extremely well. This doesn't appear to be a problem at the top level. It is among the ranks of diplomats and sherpas on both sides that these issues must be worked through – for it is they who will need to put in the hard yards to turn warm words into economic mechanisms that benefit the peoples of both the Gulf and South-East Asia. It's not just a matter of material progress, and shared and equitable prosperity, important though both are. There should be a kind of magic, even a touch of romantic idealism, about trying to bring these two regions (and China) closer. And so, I will leave the last words to Prof Phar. The senior officials who were working to make the Kuala Lumpur summits a success were doing more than laying the groundwork for trade, he wrote. 'They are rewriting the rules of recognition. They are showing that in a fragmented world, civilisation can still speak to civilisation – not through weapons or treaties, but through standards, ports, and trust.'
Malay Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Chinese premier, GCC leaders leave Malaysia after groundbreaking Asean summits
SEPANG, May 29 — Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states' leaders and their delegations departed for home yesterday following the conclusion of the 2nd Asean-GCC Summit and the inaugural Asean-GCC-China Summit in Kuala Lumpur. Li and his delegation boarded a special flight at 9.15 am from the Bunga Raya Complex of Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). They were sent off by Transport Minister Anthony Loke. At around 10 am, the Crown Prince of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, also left for home aboard a special aircraft. Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali was present to bid him farewell. Deputy Prime Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Affairs of Oman, Sayyid Asaad bin Tarik al Said, departed for home at 2.33 pm, sent off by Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil. Meanwhile, Timor-Leste Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao left at 11.50 am aboard a special aircraft, and Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad was present to see him off. All the leaders were given a red carpet ceremonial send-off and a guard-of-honour mounted by 28 officers and personnel from the First Battalion of the Royal Ranger Regiment (Ceremonial). Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, in his opening remarks at the Asean-GCC Summit, described the gathering as exceptional in the context of Southeast Asia Anwar highlighted the presence of Asean leaders alongside representatives from the GCC countries as a testament to the growing mutual trust and friendship between the two blocs. The 46th Asean Summit was held on Monday under Malaysia's 2025 Asean Chairmanship theme 'Inclusivity and Sustainability', and it was followed by the 2nd Asean-GCC Summit and the inaugural Asean-GCC-China Summit. — Bernama
Zawya
4 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Bahrain and Singapore pledge to strengthen ties
Bahrain - His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, yesterday met Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong as part of his official visit to Malaysia. HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister welcomed that bilateral relations between Bahrain and Singapore continue to go from strength to strength, which reflects the commitment of both countries to enhance joint co-operation in a way that achieves common aspirations. HRH Prince Salman stressed the importance of building upon bilateral partnerships across various sectors, which would contribute to supporting development efforts in both countries. HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister affirmed the importance of the second Asean-GCC Summit and the inaugural Asean-GCC-China Summit in enhancing joint co-ordination, underscoring their role in advancing sustainable prosperity, progress and development across the region and beyond. The meeting focused on ways enhance co-operation between Bahrain and Singapore, including bolstering co-ordination in the economic and investment sectors as well as opportunities to exchange expertise and best practices, which would enhance the competitiveness of the two countries and support economic growth. His Royal Highness affirmed the importance of strengthening co-ordination between the two countries and exploring more promising opportunities in the fields of trade and investment, which would enhance economic co-operation and lead to further development and prosperity. During the meeting, a number of issues of common interest, such as regional and international developments, were also discussed. Copyright 2022 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Malay Mail
4 days ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Malaysia and UAE pledge to strengthen bilateral ties at Asean-GCC Summit
KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 — Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reiterated their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties during a meeting today. Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and the UAE's Supreme Council member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, met on the sidelines of the 2nd Asean-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. Meanwhile, the Government of Ras Al Khaimah, in a statement to Bernama, said the meeting discussed the long-standing friendship and cooperation between the UAE and Malaysia, and explored opportunities to expand collaboration across various sectors. 'Both leaders praised the strong coordination and partnership between the UAE and Malaysia on the international stage and emphasised the importance of continued dialogue and engagement to advance shared development goals and mutual interests,' it said. It added that Sheikh Saud also commended Malaysia's outstanding organisation of the summits and praised the country's role in promoting closer cooperation and integration between GCC and Asean nations. Malaysia and the UAE have enjoyed robust bilateral relations since the early 1970s, marked by significant collaborations in diplomacy, trade and investment. The Asean-GCC Summit, hosted by Malaysia as the Asean Chair, was aimed at bolstering economic resilience by enhancing inter-regional cooperation and forming a united front against challenges posed by global economic uncertainties. The 46th Asean Summit, held under Malaysia's 2025 Chairmanship theme, 'Inclusivity and Sustainability', marks the country's fifth term as Asean Chair, following previous chairmanships in 1977, 1997, 2005 and 2015. — Bernama
South China Morning Post
5 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Asean aims for more investments from GCC nations as US tariffs spur diversification
Southeast Asian economies have signalled their readiness to allow more investments from the Gulf region in sectors such as technology, artificial intelligence and renewable energy, as they look to diversify growth and shield themselves from the impact of US tariffs. Advertisement In return, the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council is seeking partners beyond the Middle East to tap its oil wealth as part of its efforts to play a greater role in global growth. Southeast Asia's economies have been reeling since April, when US President Donald Trump announced sweeping 'reciprocal' tariffs to be imposed on Washington's global trade partners. With their exports to the world's largest economy expected to slow, Asean members have been lobbying Washington for relief from tariffs of up to 49 per cent, ahead of an early July deadline. Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is this year's Asean chair, said on Tuesday that the Asean-GCC Summit came at a crucial time when both regions 'navigate an increasingly complex global landscape marked by economic uncertainty and geopolitical challenges'. The GCC was the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' seventh-largest trading partner in 2023, with bilateral trade totalling US$130.7 billion, he said. Advertisement 'A transition in the geopolitical order is under way' with multilateralism 'breaking apart at the seams' under rising US protectionism, Anwar warned on Monday.
