Trilateral ties deepen for shared growth

Leaders of ASEAN, GCC, China reject protectionism and push for resilience

The first trilateral summit of China, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Gulf Cooperation Council strengthened economic cooperation and broadened trade and diplomatic alliances as the Global South faces uncertainties brought by rising tariffs, analysts say.

The inaugural ASEAN-GCCChina Summit, held on Tuesday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, was in conjunction with the 46th ASEAN Summit, with Malaysia serving as the bloc's rotating chair.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said ASEAN's engagements with the GCC and China "marked significant progress".