IINA: The ASEAN-GCC-China Summit--The Search for New Partnerships

By Tomotaka Shoji, Director, Regional Studies Department National Institute for Defense Studies (NIDS)

On May 27, 2025, the leaders of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council), and China gathered for the first time in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, for a summit. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss trade, investment, and economic cooperation, as well as common efforts to combat terrorism and other transnational crimes, and to explore a new framework for cooperation between East Asia and the Middle East. This brief review examines the significance of the meeting, focusing on the aims of ASEAN and, in particular, its chair, Malaysia.