Ashraf AboArafe reports
In a landmark summit held Tuesday in Kuala Lumpur, Chinese Premier Li Qiang called for the creation of a trilateral model of developmental cooperation, openness, and civilizational integration among China, ASEAN, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
Delivering the keynote speech at the China–ASEAN–GCC Summit, Li emphasized the strategic importance of trilateral collaboration amid global economic slowdown and geopolitical shifts. He proposed three pillars for the new cooperation framework:
- Regional Openness: Unifying the three economic blocs — representing a quarter of the world’s population and GDP — to enable freer trade and smoother flow of resources and talent.
- Complementary Development: Leveraging developmental differences as mutual strengths through strategic alignment and enhanced industrial cooperation.
- Civilizational Synergy: Promoting cultural exchange and mutual trust, managing differences through understanding, and exploring inclusive paths of progress.
Li voiced support for Malaysia’s “Confucian-Islamic Civilizational Dialogue” initiative and reaffirmed China’s readiness to cooperate in areas such as digital economy, AI, agriculture, green development, and infrastructure under the Belt and Road Initiative.
Leaders from ASEAN and the GCC welcomed the proposals, highlighting their joint commitment to deepening trilateral ties and building a shared future grounded in inclusive growth and intercultural harmony.
The summit concluded with the adoption of a joint statement charting a new course for global cooperation.
