'Major consequence': Malaysia invites China to participate in Asean summit with Gulf bloc

Malaysia has invited China to participate in a summit with Southeast Asian and Arab states next year, with the aim of broadening it ASEAN‘s pool of economic partners as it prepares to take over the bloc’s presidency in 2025.

Speaking at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai on Tuesday: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said China’s inclusion in the annual summit between Asean and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) next year would have “major implications for the trajectory of regional growth”.

Anwar emphasized that this three-way cooperation would help narrow the economic gap between eastern and western developed countries.

“As Asean chairman next year, Malaysia aims to strengthen regional cooperation and an inclusive, rules-based regional framework,” he said.

Global supply chains have been roiled since 2018 by a US-led trade war against China aimed at tackling what the US and its allies say are unfair trade practices by the Asian giant.