Proposal discussed during meeting between Malaysian premier, visiting Chinese commander
Malaysia is considering hosting the inaugural joint summit between China, Gulf nations and the bloc of the Southeast Asian Nations, known as ASEAN.
It was discussed during a meeting between Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Gen. Liu Zhenli, who is chief of staff of the joint staff department at Central Military Commission of China.
Malaysia assumed the year-long chairmanship of the AESAN early this month.
“We discussed Malaysia's ASEAN Chairmanship, including plans to host the inaugural ASEAN+GCC+China Summit,” Anwar said on X after meeting Liu on Wednesday in Kuala Lumpur.
GCC stands for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and represents Gulf heavy weights including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar.
The ASEAN, 10-nation bloc representing Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, held its first summit with the GCC in 2023 in Riyadh.
The two blocs established relations in 1990.
About his meeting with Chinese Gen. Liu, Anwar said: “On the South China Sea, I reaffirmed that disputes must be resolved peacefully through diplomacy and adherence to international law.”
China and the Southeast Asian bloc are holding discussions to sign a code of conduct in the resource-rich vast waterbody where several of them, including Kuala Lumpur, have disputes with Beijing.
Malaysia officially assumed the chairmanship of the ASEAN on Jan. 1 for 2025, marking the fifth time since the bloc's establishment in 1967. It previously chaired the bloc in 1977, 1997, 2005, and 2015.
Prime Minister Anwar will lead the bloc under the 2025 theme of "Inclusivity and Sustainability," addressing pressing regional issues such as disputes in the South China Sea and the ongoing civil war in Myanmar.
Malaysia is set to host over 300 key meetings and programs throughout the year.
