Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 26, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Xiang)

The landmark inaugural trilateral summit between ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations), the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and China is set to open on Tuesday at the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur. Ahead of its convening, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said ASEAN regards China as a valued friend, adding that despite complex geopolitical realities, the region remains committed to constructive engagement, Malaymail reported on Tuesday.

Anwar made the remarks in his welcoming address at a gala dinner hosted in honor of ASEAN leaders Monday night, according to the report. 

The inaugural trilateral summit "marks a new chapter of strategic cooperation," said the Malaysian Prime Minister, as he stressed that ASEAN regards China as a valued friend, adding that despite complex geopolitical realities, the region remains committed to constructive engagement, per the report.

He also highlighted the GCC's remarkable transformation, describing it as "the most peaceful and fastest-growing economy in the world", driven by new technology and artificial intelligence.

"This is a meeting of minds, people who want to develop their countries, who believe in independence, in rights, in democracy and who want to enhance trade, increase investments," he said, according to Malaymail. 

Anwar noted that Malaysia, as ASEAN chair 2025, truly appreciates China's strong commitment to enhancing regional collaboration in the years ahead, The Edge Malaysia reported. 

"On the sidelines of the Asean Summit 2025, I met with China's Premier Li Qiang, where we discussed efforts to enhance strategic cooperation, particularly through the ASEAN-GCC-China Summit in Kuala Lumpur. "We focused on key areas like the economy, the halal industry, trade, transportation (especially the East Coast Rail Link), green energy, and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies," Anwar said in a post on X.

The prime minister said he had also expressed gratitude to China for its support for Malaysia's modernization efforts, highlighting the solidarity of the Global South, per The Edge Malaysia report.

Global Times