The inaugural Asean-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)-China Economic Summit offers insight into the region's economic potential and collaborative opportunities, said Asean secretary-general Dr Kao Kim Hourn.
In an interview with The Star on Sunday (May 25), Kao commended the Malaysian government for conceptualising and making the meeting a reality.
Kao also reaffirmed his belief that Asean is fundamentally about its people, expressing hope that the association will continue evolving into a more united, integrated, and people-oriented community.
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00:00So with the first ASEAN GCC and China Summit set to be held, what can we expect here, and how will this also help to boost ties between all the stakeholders involved?
00:09Well, first of all, China is our comprehensive city partner, and our neighbor, as defined by maritime and land geography and history, and the way we have been working together.
00:26GCC, we had our first ASEAN GCC Summit two years ago, so I think the fact that this year we have the second ASEAN GCC Summit, so under the initiative of Malaysia and ASEAN, with the support of the United States, that's why we agreed to have the ASEAN GCC China Summit.
00:56to bring the three regions together, ASEAN, GCC, and China, to look at the economic potential in terms of what can we do to collaborate.
01:11I think we see there is a dynamic there to promote more trade, more investment, more tourism, more connectivity, more people-to-people exchanges.
01:27So this is the dynamics we see.
01:31And I think for ASEAN, it has always been in the interest of ASEAN to, on the one hand, to focus on existing opportunities,
01:43all right, we maximize the existing opportunities, but at the same time to look at and identify new opportunities that we can maximize and we can capitalize on.
01:57And that's why this dynamics of having the three regions meeting together.
02:02I think we have to commend the leadership of Malaysia for conceptualize and bringing this into reality in terms of getting this meeting together.
02:18You know, it's not easy, very challenging, but I think tomorrow the meeting will take place already, the summer will take place ASEAN, GCC China.
02:27So I would say, let's see how the leaders will be discussing.
02:32You know, but I envision, I anticipate that it will be a very productive discussion by the leaders from the three regions.
02:43And I think, I hope that there will be very fruitful outcomes.
02:49Even the scale of this whole summit and the related summit, GCC and China, which are all I think concurrently,
02:54do you think it's a very exciting time to be an ASEAN member state at the moment?
02:58Indeed, indeed. I think, you know, I mean, I was in India last year and India would tell me, you know,
03:10what ASEAN is doing is the only game in town that is quite significant.
03:21So ASEAN has been here for 58 years, and ASEAN continues to make a very big impact on the environment here, particularly as I say,
03:38that it is a major stabilizing force for peace, stability in our region.
03:46And, of course, you see the economic dynamics that the fact that ASEAN has seven FTAs,
03:54plus the regional comprehensive partnership, and now looking at other opportunities.
03:59We don't stand still. You know, we don't stand still.
04:02I think ASEAN is on the move constantly.
04:05I think this year, Malaysia, ASEAN has been very dynamic, very bold, and very strategic in terms of it has carried out its leadership to consolidate what's in ASEAN,
04:18but, of course, also reaching out to the new areas where we can build our new partnership.
04:25What do people benefit from all of this?
04:27Well, number one, of course, with more investment, with peace stability in ASEAN, we can attract more investment into ASEAN.
04:36Investment would translate into more jobs, opportunity for the people, right?
04:42But the way of reaching out, through FTAs and opening up new market opportunity, it's been more markets, more export as well.
04:55And then we're able to attract a lot of tourists to our region.
05:00I just arrived yesterday, look at KL International Airport, very crowded.
05:07There's so many people, all the tourists, all the people, you see?
05:11This is the real positive impact that people see.
05:13See?
05:14And, of course, the theory, I mean, and the practice of tourism,
05:19if you have tourists visiting the villages in different parts of each of us in Mama State,
05:25they trick it down in theory, you know?
05:27So it's good for the people.
05:29And then the fact that ASEAN now, as a community, we work together,
05:35people don't need visas to travel in the ASEAN zone.
05:38They can book a flight, get on the flight.
05:40And, of course, now you have more air connectivity, more direct flights, you know,
05:44to all the ASEAN different states and capitals and cities.
05:48Now, that was not possible 20 years ago.
05:51Because you want to travel in the ASEAN zone, you spend more time on the road,
05:56but that is increasingly up for us.
06:00We've been realized this.
06:02So I see people can feel, you know, that at the end of the day,
06:06there are true benefits of being part of ASEAN community.
06:10And that's why Tim Lacy has been applying to become a member ASEAN since 2011.
06:15You know, it's not easy to become a member of ASEAN, you see?
06:18So why Tim Lacy applied to become a member ASEAN?
06:24Because they see the benefits of being part of this regional organization.
06:30ASEAN, we do so many things in terms of projects, activities, programs,
06:37and, of course, all of these economic engagements that attract so much interest,
06:44attract so much opportunities.
06:48You just look at investment in Malaysia now.
06:51There's a lot of FDI inflow into Malaysia, for example.
06:55Just to give an example.
06:56And it's good for Malaysia.
06:58It's good for Malaysia.
06:59It's good for ASEAN.
07:00That's how we see it.
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