THE inaugural ASEAN–Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)–China Summit offers a significant opportunity to deepen economic integration between Southeast Asia and two of the world’s key economic powers, according to an economist.
Bernama cited University of Nottingham Malaysia Assistant Professor of Business Economics Dr Tan Chee Meng describing the summit as a “strategic platform for regional collaboration” and a potential model for wider global economic cooperation.
“This could be a working model that attracts other trading blocs to engage and collaborate more meaningfully in building a more interconnected and resilient global economy,” he said in an interview with Bernama on the sidelines of the 46th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings.
The historic summit, to be held on 27 May alongside the 2nd ASEAN-GCC Summit, will bring together leaders from the 10-member ASEAN bloc, the six GCC nations—Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman—and China. Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair for 2025, will host the meetings at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on 26 and 27 May.
Dr Tan noted that ASEAN’s longstanding policy of neutrality enables it to attract countries seeking constructive and balanced economic engagement. “We need to see how we can actually work closely together to build mutual cooperation—talk about shared prosperity and how do we actually hedge against uncertainty due to policies of the West,” he said.
He emphasised that expanded economic cooperation with China and the GCC could strengthen ASEAN’s positioning as a dynamic and competitive trading destination.
According to World Bank data, the combined annual gross domestic product (GDP) of ASEAN, the GCC and China reached US\$23.7 trillion in 2023—representing approximately 22.3 per cent of global GDP. The three regions also account for a combined population of some 2.15 billion, forming a substantial consumer and production base.
The ASEAN-GCC-China Summit is seen as a milestone in inter-regional dialogue, offering a forum for aligning shared priorities in trade, infrastructure, digitalisation and sustainable development.
Observers say the summit’s success could pave the way for a new era of cooperation beyond traditional geopolitical alignments, anchored in mutual economic benefit and long-term resilience. - May 24, 2025
