KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) opened a high-level summit on Tuesday with China and six Persian Gulf nations in a bid to strengthen economic partnerships and build resilience against growing global trade instability, particularly amid renewed U.S. tariff threats.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, hosting the inaugural three-way summit in Kuala Lumpur, said the gathering marks “a new chapter of cooperation” among ASEAN, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and China, a grouping that represents a combined GDP of nearly $25 trillion and a consumer market of more than 2 billion people.
“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,” Anwar said in his address, joined by Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
Premier Li highlighted the potential of enhanced trilateral cooperation to drive regional economic growth and stability. “China will join ASEAN and the GCC in forging synergies that multiply,” he said, emphasizing China’s position as ASEAN’s top trading partner and its heavy dependence on the Gulf for oil.
The GCC, comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, accounted for over a third of China’s crude oil imports in 2023. Anwar noted that while the GCC has close ties with Washington, “it wants to be close to China too.”
The summit comes as ASEAN navigates economic uncertainty due to new U.S. tariff policies. Former U.S. President Donald Trump recently imposed sweeping tariffs on several ASEAN nations, ranging from 32% to 49%, although a 90-day tariff pause has been implemented. ASEAN is seeking its own summit with the U.S. to address the issue.
In a related forum earlier Tuesday, Anwar said ASEAN and the GCC plan to launch free trade talks. Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khalid Al Sabah said both blocs, which first met in Riyadh in 2023, are building on momentum to “improve our ability to face crisis.” Total trade between ASEAN and the GCC hit $130.7 billion last year.
Analysts see the summit as a strategic move by Beijing to solidify support amid its ongoing trade rivalry with Washington. Collins Chong Yew Keat, a foreign affairs expert at Universiti Malaya, said the meeting reflects China’s efforts to strengthen regional influence while the U.S. is distracted.
“ASEAN is increasingly dependent on China and other U.S. rivals economically,” he said. “If this continues under the current Trump administration, it could create a vacuum for China to further expand its regional dominance.”
Despite these shifts, Anwar rejected claims that ASEAN is pivoting toward China, saying, “I don’t think ASEAN is tilting in any way. It’s a matter of economic sense.”
Notably absent from the summit was Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, who was hospitalized for fatigue after attending earlier ASEAN events. He is expected to rest at Malaysia’s National Heart Institute for several days, though his office assured he is “in good health.”
ASEAN. which includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, has long pursued a policy of neutrality, balancing relations with both China and the United States. However, ongoing tensions in the South China Sea and shifting trade alliances continue to test that approach.
