Chinese Premier Li Qiang outlined a vision for strengthened trilateral cooperation between China, ASEAN, and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries during his keynote speech at the 2025 Economic Forum in Kuala Lumpur. Emphasizing the need for solidarity amid global economic headwinds, Li highlighted three key pillars for regional collaboration.
Creating Opportunities Through Unity
Li stressed that mutual trust and open markets could transform challenges into strategic advantages, noting that combined ASEAN-China-GCC populations represent 25% of global GDP but only 5% of world trade. "Our connected markets could form one of the largest intra-regional economic blocs," he stated, advocating for reduced trade barriers and enhanced supply chain coordination.
Historical Ties, Future Potential
The Premier drew parallels between ancient Silk Road exchanges and modern economic partnerships, emphasizing technological collaboration and resource sharing. "Smart factories now cover 80% of Chinese manufacturing sectors," Li revealed, pointing to opportunities in green energy and high-tech industries.
China's Economic Resilience
Citing 5.4% GDP growth in Q1 2025 and record NEV production, Li reaffirmed China's commitment to high-standard opening-up policies. He outlined plans to boost domestic consumption while maintaining "proactive fiscal measures and accommodative monetary policies" to stabilize regional economic networks.
The forum concluded with commitments to deepen strategic alignment and uphold WTO-centered multilateral trade systems, positioning Asia-Gulf cooperation as a stabilizing force in global economics.
