Latest news with #Western-dominated
Barnama
5 days ago
- Business
- Barnama
ASEAN, GCC And China - A New Power Bloc Of The Global South
From Kisho Kumari Sucedaram BEIJING, May 27 (Bernama) -- As the global economic uncertainty rages on following the United States' (US) sweeping tariffs, China sees the inaugural ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)-China Summit in Kuala Lumpur today not merely as a diplomatic gathering but a pivotal moment in the rise of the Global South. For China, this tripartite meeting is far more than a symbolic gesture. It represents the emergence of a new economic and strategic axis, one that challenges traditional Western-dominated trade frameworks and offers an alternative vision of cooperative development. This was made evident when China's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Mao Ning, remarked last week that China looks to expand practical cooperation with ASEAN and the oil-rich GCC member states in various fields to leverage their respective strengths, pursue win-win results and defend common interests of the Global South. It would be a coming together of ASEAN's quest to foster integration within Southeast Asia, GCC's aim to reduce dependence on oil and diversify the economy, and China's Belt and Road Initiative focusing on global infrastructure development strategies. Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair this year, is hosting the maiden ASEAN-GCC-China Summit which is set to unlock immense potential for multilateral cooperation. The combined weight of ASEAN, GCC and China is certainly reshaping the global economic dynamics. ASEAN, now the world's fifth-largest economy with a collective gross domestic product (GDP) of over US$3.6 trillion (US$1=RM4.22), is not just a manufacturing hub but also a burgeoning consumer market of 700 million people. On Sunday, Malaysia's Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz told a press conference that the collective ASEAN GDP is projected to grow at 4.7 per cent in 2025 from 4.2 per cent last year.
IOL News
6 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
US-SA Game of Thrones: Lights, Cameras and Genocide
A picture shows documents, belongings and skulls of victims ahead of the commemorations of the 30th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide at the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Kigali, on April 5, 2024. Image: Picture: LUIS TATO / AFP) Dr Nazreen Shaik-Peremanov Metaphorical Orwellian allegories have become commonplace in contemporary international relations as never before. All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others. With the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly resolutions and domestic legislation, the Cambodian War Crimes Tribunal was established. So too, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia read in culpability arising from superior command responsibility, finding that subordinates have a duty of diligence and application of mind when acting on superior commands. When the Khmer Rouge regime did not bow to Western ideologies, the US began bombing in the 1950s and 60s, the subsequent genocide was more directly attributed to external northern influences. Vietnam demonstrated the US's capacity to declare war on a nation that refused conformity to Western-dominated political ideals. When the genocide was imminent in Rwanda, allied forces withdrew the last remaining Belgian soldiers on the brink of time. When 18 American soldiers were dragged through the streets of Mogadishu, Black Hawk Down did not sit by idly. Hastily, the US retracted. See: American lives matter more than those of others. American lives are more equal than those of others. Costa Rica is a favoured nation housing US military launch pads in South America as if Greenland's space is not enough for so-called training exercises. As peacekeepers wailed over horns to the UN in Rwanda, the Hutus and Tutsis revelled in demonising genocide and crimes against humanity. Pray tell, how did these atrocities come to pass? Erecting reinforced walls to keep Mexicans out of North America; deporting immigrants in open military aircraft to their home states, supplying arms and ammunition to one brother against the other to indoctrinate Western political thinking, collapsing entire villages across South America willfully to destroy a whole or a part of a nation because they were endowed with individual political intellect are but some of the atrocities. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Forcibly disappearing and kidnapping (rendition if you will) by US agents exercising extra-territorial jurisdiction in Peru, Mexico, Colombia, and the like are crimes against humanity, bordering on genocidal conduct. Embarrassingly so, the truth of how this comes to pass is simple: if something does not adversely impact or threaten the north mainland of the US, then it does not matter at all. Atrocities are a bystander's collateral. South Africa was no bystander in the Oval Room this week. South Africa will never be a bystander in international relations, nor will she become apologetic. Forming the guard of honour around South Africa's head of state, President Ramaphosa stood unflinchingly tall, almost as if he sat across, laying his balming hand on Trumptonia's shoulders, saying, 'It's alright, old Boy. Calm down. Breathe. Genocide does not exist in the South African dictionary. It does exist in the US dictionary.' Since Minister Lamola's stature was disarming and simultaneously frustrating to the White House, perhaps the hope was that 49 refugee families would spin the wheel for the green card. Ernie Els's surpassed brilliance on the course has little whittle at Union Buildings, or the Kremlin, let alone the White House. Yet, there he was on a US presidential invitation with Retief Goosen. To do what? To speak of untold genocidal atrocities against the minority white farmers on South African soil. South Africa's racially segregated history, perpetrated by the White minority, informs her history, and her crimes. Moreover, the charismatic leadership of Nelson Mandela ushered in a dispensation of unity, quelling White minority fears and Black majority zeal, along with the now President Ramaphosa as the ANC's aide. In recent years, crime has escalated in South Africa. Stats SA reports on crimes committed in South Africa. White farmers setting killer dogs loose on black farm workers mauling them to death, somehow escapes the US beams. White Afrikaner farmers killing their farm help and feeding the bodies to pigs also escape the Nazi-like beam. So, too, do the Krugersdorp attacks on Black citizens, followed closely by killings perpetrated by Afrikaner Whites in Ventersdorp. Orania has carved out a state of its own in South Africa, beautifully relying on the exemplary South African Constitution's article on the right to self-determination. The message is clear: WHITES ONLY. South Africa's democratic constitutional dispensation protects constitutional imperatives. Musk has carved out his state in Austin, Texas, and at the Italian compound. The message is clear: MUSKIEANS ONLY. The US had sent South Americans, Indians and others back home in droves. So, when popcorn is not served but visual clips are played at the White House, we should learn that people in glass houses should not throw stones or arms or ammunition or nuclear armament or…erect fences for Mexican expulsion... Freedom of speech is a hard-fought-for South African right, which was drenched in Apartheid censorship. The only limitation will be by a law of general application in an open and democratic society based on freedom, equality and dignity. So, it remains firmly a constitutional imperative for those wishing to express their thoughts, beliefs and opinions. We know what genocide means, and will share its meaning with you, Mr President. Genocide is the willful killing or extermination by any acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, killing members of the group like collapsing South American villages or setting starved dogs on black farm workers; or causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group like exclusive Texas and Orania... Mr President. We thank you, Mr President. * Dr Nazreen Shaik-Peremanov University of Fort Hare Law Faculty and University of Cambridge Wolfsons College Scholar (former) ** The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL, Independent Media or The African.
The Star
7 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Trilateral summit to reshape Asia-Pacific dynamics
PETALING JAYA: The inaugural Asean, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and China Summit set to take place on Tuesday will mark a new phase in the grouping's regional diplomacy amid escalating geopolitical tensions. Asia West East Centre (Asia WE), director and co-founder Abdolreza Alami said the summit has the potential to redefine order in the Asia-Pacific region and by leveraging the existing trade framework, it seeks to counter external pressures from US tariffs. 'By focusing on economic, energy and security cooperation, the summit strengthens regional autonomy, positioning this triangle as a counterweight to Western-dominated systems,' he said. Abdolreza said in 2023, Asean-China trade reached US$911.7bil while GCC-China trade hit US$316bil and this underscores the robust economic foundation of this partnership. 'This summit offers Malaysia a chance to showcase its diplomatic leadership, making it a calculated step towards strengthening a regional group, not a high-stakes gamble,' he added. Universiti Malaya International and Strategic Studies Department's Assoc Prof Khoo Ying Hooi said aligning these countries will be challenging, given the different political systems and worldviews. 'There is also the risk of Asean's own agenda getting sidelined as bigger powers take centre stage. 'While this summit opens a new chapter in trilateral engagement, its long-term value depends on whether it empowers Asean or merely pulls it deeper into external rivalries,' she said. Khoo said neutrality, which is Asean's advantage, is becoming increasingly harder to maintain as geopolitical tensions rise. 'Closer ties with China and the GCC are economically logical, but politically, they open Asean up to questions about alignment,' she said. Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute analyst Anas Hayyan said the trilateral summit was a strategic move and it reflects Asean's confidence to act as a regional group with leverage. 'Instead of picking sides in a polarised world, Asean is showing it can create value by connecting regions,' he said. He warned that challenges still lie ahead, among them the contentious South China Sea disputes. 'Geopolitical tensions, particularly in the South China Sea, could strain Asean-China relations, with some Asean nations cautious of China's assertiveness,' he said. Anas also commended Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's quiet breakthrough in Myanmar, where unprecedented talks were held between the military junta and the opposition National Unity Government. 'But the Myanmar crisis poses a challenge as Asean struggles to advance the Five-Point Consensus amid ongoing conflict and the recent earthquake,' he added. Wisma Putra said the summit is expected to formalise shared objectives between Asean, China and GCC countries in economic and digital connectivity, infrastructure and sustainable development. Former ambassador Datuk Ilango Karuppannan said trilateral meetings highlight a growing awareness in the Global South that countries and regions can work together based on mutual interest, without waiting for approval from traditional powers. 'This summit could be a turning point on the emerging multipolar world – a rare moment when Asean isn't just reacting, but shaping global dynamics,' said Ilango, who is also a Universiti Malaya (UM) adjunct professor of regional and global affairs. But he stressed the importance of Asean maintaining its neutrality, which could be under pressure as it seeks deeper ties with both China and GCC countries. The 46th Asean Summit will take place tomorrow, followed by the 2nd Asean-GCC Summit, followed by the Asean-GCC-China Summit. Wisma Putra is taking the lead in organising the summits under Malaysia's Asean chairmanship this year.
Hindustan Times
24-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
BRICS gets more powerful despite Trump's bloc ‘Dead' declaration Algeria
Algeria has officially joined the BRICS-backed New Development Bank (NDB), marking a major expansion of the bank's influence into North Africa and further accelerating the BRICS bloc's push to provide an alternative to Western-dominated financial institutions. The accession was finalized on May 22, 2025, with NDB President Dilma Rousseff congratulating Algeria and highlighting its vital role in both the Northern African and global economies. Watch for more
New Straits Times
23-05-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
For developing countries, it is time to embrace fair trade
In an era marked by geopolitical uncertainty and the failure of free market systems to address development disparities, Global South countries are beginning to rethink their dependence on the Western-dominated international trade system. While the free trade paradigm is promoted as a driver of shared prosperity, it has proven to be structurally biased, favouring developed economies while marginalising the interests of developing nations. An alternative framework is now gaining momentum — a South-South trade model built on the principles of justice, reciprocity, economic sovereignty and solidarity. Within this framework, the emphasis shifts from free trade to fair trade — a system rooted in equitable benefits, transparency and the right to self-determined development. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is one of Asia's most vocal advocates for this new direction. In various international platforms, including the Global South Dialogues, the World Islamic Economic Forum and Asean summits, he repeatedly emphasised the urgent need to establish a just and balanced trade order. Trade is not merely about economic exchange; it is a reflection of global justice and shared human dignity. As Asean chairman, Anwar is actively positioning both Malaysia and the regional bloc as influential actors within the Global South, advocating for a rebalancing of global power — moving away from bipolar dominance towards a more equitable, multipolar world order. Across his diplomatic engagements — from South America and Southeast Asia to his latest visit to Russia — the prime minister has consistently called for stronger South-South cooperation, aiming to strengthen collective economic and political leverage, to be free from the dominance of developed nations or the Global North. In his 2024 keynote speech at the Qatar Economic Forum, he stated: "The current global system tilts towards the major powers, multinational corporations, and Western financial institutions. It denies developing countries the right to develop their own capacities." In his view, free trade agreements often pressure developing nations to liberalise markets prematurely while receiving limited access to developed markets in return. He advocates for greater South-South cooperation as a strategic alternative to Western hegemony. Developing nations must actively build trade systems based on mutual respect and shared goals — systems that reflect their values and development needs rather than Western prescriptions. Under his leadership, Malaysia has intensified economic engagement with fellow Global South nations, including Indonesia, Turkiye, Egypt, Bangladesh and many African countries. These partnerships are not limited to commodities but also include technology transfers, local currency settlements and infrastructure development. This approach strengthens collective autonomy, allowing Southern countries to chart a trade path independent of traditional power centres such as the International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organisation, or Bretton Woods institutions. Fair trade should be a guiding principle for the future of international trade. Unlike free trade, which centres on deregulation and profit maximisation, fair trade emphasises just wages, sustainable practices, stable pricing and the empowerment of small producers. These ideas reflect a broader vision of economic justice where trade supports human development and communal well-being, not just corporate gain. Malaysia, with its strong halal economy, Islamic finance leadership and multicultural trade history, is well-positioned to lead this transformation as a coordinator of fair, inclusive and justice-driven trade practices. Today's global trade landscape is at a crossroads. The liberalised free trade model dominated by Western powers is increasingly being challenged, while the voices of the Global South grow louder in calling for a more ethical and multipolar system. Anwar's vision is a call to reimagine trade as a tool for global justice. Under this vision, fair trade becomes the lifeblood of a new economic order — one that places people before profit and dignity above deregulation. Towards this new order, the Global South must not only cooperate but innovate — forging trade alliances, financing structures, and institutions that reflect their shared destiny.
