ASEAN: Forging New Alliances with Gulf Capital and Chinese Scale

ASEAN: Forging New Alliances with Gulf Capital and Chinese Scale

A Pivotal Moment for ASEAN The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) marked a significant milestone in May 2025 by hosting its summit in Kuala Lumpur with unprecedented participation from China and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). This event represented the first time these two economic powerhouses joined the high-level meeting of the ten ASEAN member countries: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The summit’s primary objective was to bolster cooperation across critical sectors such as trade, investment, infrastructure development, green energy, and the digital economy. Furthermore, it aimed to elevate ASEAN’s global standing and foster collaborative efforts in crucial areas like food and energy security, sustainable development, and pandemic preparedness. The combined economic might of these three groupings—ASEAN, China, and the GCC—presents a formidable global force. The GCC comprises Bahrain, …