The inaugural ASEAN-GCC-China Summit held in Kuala Lumpur on May 27, 2025, may have passed with minimal fanfare in the Western press, but in the corridors of regional diplomacy, it marked a tectonic shift.
More than just a diplomatic novelty, the summit signaled a concerted effort to reimagine global cooperation from the perspectives of three enduring civilizations—Southeast Asia, the Arabian Gulf and China.
Each region brings to the table not only vast economic potential but also a deep civilizational ethos. Their alignment is not one of ideology or strategic confrontation; rather, it is rooted in a desire to resist the deepening fragmentation of the global order.
What comes…