- 7 months ago
Why is the ASEAN-GCC Summit significant, amid growing rivalry between major powers and global uncertainty? Join our guests as they unpack the outcomes from the summit.
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09:59ASEAN
10:29So on and so on and so forth and so on and so on and so forth and the pulling back of key things such as U.S. aid, U.S. financing of humanitarian issues and so on.
10:38So I think this is important and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on and so
11:08is things like the Iran deal.
11:12The United States is currently on the road
11:15to actually finalizing Iran nuclear deal.
11:17And I think this is going to change things a little bit
11:19because it might bring down the temperature
11:21between the Saudi-Iranian rivalry.
11:23I'm very interested to see where that leads in the end.
11:26And so we might see Iran sort of playing a bigger role
11:30maybe in the future.
11:31And that might sort of temper Saudi-Iranian rivalry,
11:34which has really colored the Middle Eastern region
11:37quite a bit.
11:39So I think it's interesting.
11:40And also, Russia is another key player
11:43that we haven't really noted.
11:45Each of ASEAN and GCC's countries
11:47all have good relations with Russia.
11:49So for a long time, ASEAN has kind of been
11:53not terribly affected by these global rivalries
11:57between the US and Russia.
11:58The Ukraine one, it didn't really affect ASEAN per se.
12:01We never really took a very strong side
12:04against Russia and for Ukraine.
12:06So in terms of, we've been very, as a region,
12:09very deft and very clever at mitigating
12:11that global rivalry anyway.
12:13So I think this just creates a bigger block
12:16and a bigger sort of platform for regional cooperation
12:20and so on.
12:21But it doesn't really change the status quo.
12:24We've always been very good as a region, ASEAN as a region,
12:26in mitigating those global rivalries anyway.
12:29So, yeah.
12:30Zokri, on that note on the tariff pressures specifically,
12:36a lot of analysts were talking about
12:38or calling for market diversification,
12:41especially in the region.
12:42Do you see this as being a healthy step towards diversification,
12:47this sort of alliance or allying with other middle powers
12:50or other blocs?
12:51I think this is what exactly how we, Malaysia,
12:56in this particular stance, is responding.
12:59We want to diversify our market
13:01and we are actually identifying new markets in the GCC
13:05as well as strengthening our markets hold in China.
13:10And this is nothing new,
13:11not even during the tariff introduction.
13:14I think it has been ongoing forever
13:17how that Malaysia, as a developing, as a trading nation,
13:21look towards diversification of its market.
13:24The only challenge that we have
13:26is that what we could offer is something relatively small
13:30and we don't have the bandwidth
13:33to actually provide the market.
13:35For instance, we are seriously lacking
13:37in human resources of semiconductor E&E sectors,
13:41which is currently in high demand.
13:43But because of lacking of human resources,
13:46we could not actually tap into that.
13:48So I think, in short,
13:50we realise that we have to diversify
13:52and it has ongoing projected by MITI,
13:56our Ministry of International Trade and Industry,
13:59but somehow there is actually a gap
14:01on our readiness and capabilities
14:04towards diversification.
14:06But ASEAN, GCC and China
14:09is another way on how that we can elevate.
14:12It is kind of like three kind of factors moving together,
14:17like a triangle.
14:19Then I think what we can see in the next few years
14:21that perhaps Malaysian exports
14:24will definitely have an impact to us.
14:27Well, it's something yet to be seen,
14:28but I think it's something along the way
14:30we are on the right track.
14:31Rowena, you mentioned a little bit
14:34about how ASEAN is always good
14:35at managing power rivalries.
14:38If we were to go back to that idea
14:41of strengthening alliances
14:44with other middle powers, other blocs,
14:47some analysts were also talking about
14:49potentially creating a non-aligned
14:52or a third-way strategy
14:54working with other middle powers
14:55in global politics.
14:58Performative or not, symbolic or not,
15:00do you see this realistically happening
15:03and what would it practically look like?
15:06It's already kind of happening,
15:08especially at an individual level.
15:11What I think is one of the key things
15:14about ASEAN and one of its powers
15:15is really that each individual country
15:17has been able to pursue its own policies,
15:20in its own foreign policies.
15:21And then that creates stability
15:23for ASEAN as a platform
15:28and as a cross-regional body on a whole.
15:30And I think this allows for each,
15:32if we do sort of move towards middle power,
15:35sort of like engaging with middle powers,
15:38countries like Iran, for example,
15:41this is already happening.
15:42And I think this will help
15:44because each individual country
15:45has good relations with countries like Iran,
15:48with key countries in Africa,
15:49key African states, for example.
15:52This will help provide any kind of platform
15:56and any kind of framework
15:59that will help for any third party,
16:02sort of if ASEAN wants to,
16:04as a collective,
16:05approach these countries individually.
16:07Because that's already happening
16:08at an individual level.
16:10Malaysia, for example,
16:11has quite good relations with Iran
16:13politically, economically,
16:15despite maybe some differences
16:17in terms of religion.
16:18But they have been able
16:20to mitigate U.S. sanctions,
16:23Iran's sort of bad reputation,
16:25sort of quote-unquote
16:26bad reputation internationally.
16:28And because of that,
16:29we have some sort of stability.
16:31And I think that provides stability
16:33to ASEAN as a whole.
16:36I want to go back to that point
16:37on trade and economic collaborations,
16:40or economic cooperation specifically.
16:43Zokhri, you mentioned with this alliance
16:47or this partnership,
16:48potentially unlocking
16:49even more economic opportunities
16:51with sectors such as energy,
16:55digital economy and whatnot.
16:57We're looking at trade
16:59between ASEAN and GCC countries
17:01valued at over $130 billion
17:03with a lot of analysts
17:06also pointing towards
17:07deeper economic integration,
17:10or at least that's a lot of
17:11the buzzwords that's being mentioned
17:12in a lot of the documents,
17:14a lot of the meetings
17:14to deepen economic integration
17:17across the board with both regions.
17:19How would this realistically look like?
17:21I mean, one reference that we have
17:23is of course the European Union, right?
17:25With having really deep
17:27financial integration
17:28across all these member countries.
17:30Do we even have that within ASEAN?
17:32And how would this look like
17:33between two now regional blocs?
17:37Well, I think we have to stick
17:39with the reality,
17:41regardless of how ASEAN
17:43achieved the numbers
17:44and the growth momentum,
17:46that ASEAN is a region
17:48that consists of
17:4910 different countries.
17:51And these 10 different countries
17:53has different economic challenges
17:55and economic disparity.
17:57We are talking about
17:58how the high-level income economies
18:01like Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore,
18:04as well as those
18:05who are actually achieving lower
18:07than the actual income,
18:09like Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar.
18:11So I think we have to be fair
18:13what ASEAN achieved
18:15does not actually reflect
18:17into the growth
18:18of the entire region
18:20that also consists
18:21of these economic disparity countries.
18:25But what we can do
18:26is that there is actually
18:28moving towards that.
18:29The challenge that I see
18:31in this situation
18:32is how that ASEAN
18:34could minimize
18:34and narrow the gap
18:36between these two blocs
18:38in ASEAN countries as well,
18:40so that the total of growth
18:43enjoyed by ASEAN
18:45with the GCC
18:46or with China for that matter
18:48also been shared
18:50and also been distributed
18:52with all of the countries
18:54including Laom, Myanmar, and Cambodia.
18:56And I think one thing
18:57that is interesting
18:58in the joint statement,
19:00we see in the aspect
19:01of connectivity,
19:03China managed to put
19:04BRI into that statement.
19:06We all know that BRI has been contentious
19:09not only in Southeast Asian countries
19:11but in the South Asian countries.
19:14But the achievement
19:16of putting and acknowledging BRI
19:19as one of the channels
19:20for us to connect
19:22and integrate with one another,
19:24what I can see in the future
19:25is how the ASEAN countries
19:27to a certain extent
19:29the GCC countries
19:31leveraging on the BRI,
19:33Belt and Road initiatives,
19:34to make sure that peoples
19:36are integrated,
19:38peoples are close
19:39with one and another
19:40and businesses
19:41are very much intertwined
19:43with one and another.
19:44So I have good feelings
19:47that the joint statement
19:48or this time summit
19:49is a little bit more focused.
19:52We know what we want to do
19:53and we know our aims.
19:55What is life is how to put it
19:57into that tangible,
19:58intangible results
19:59as well as the implementational strategy
20:02to make these things happen.
20:03I guess one step closer
20:05to making it into reality
20:07would be one of the ideas
20:09that's being proposed
20:10is the free trade agreement
20:11that's already being discussed
20:13between ASEAN and the GCC.
20:15Zoukri, what do you think
20:16an ideal free trade agreement
20:18would look like for both sides?
20:20An ideal free trade agreement
20:22on both sides
20:23is to look into the existing
20:26economic parameters
20:27enjoyed by these two countries
20:30as well as looking at
20:32one of the hotspots
20:33that has not been tapped
20:35by these two countries.
20:36We talk about medical tourism.
20:38Now, Malaysia,
20:40Indonesia and Thailand,
20:42but Malaysia in particular
20:43has been voted
20:44as the number one
20:46medical tourism destinations
20:47in the world.
20:48And this is something
20:49that we have to project
20:51to the GCC countries
20:53instead of the conventional
20:54trades, goods and services.
20:57I think we are actually emerging
20:59into new aspects of trade.
21:03Another aspect,
21:04I think last year
21:05we had this halal expo
21:07in Dubai
21:08where Malaysia participated
21:10quite aggressively
21:11and very target-oriented
21:13in the halal expo.
21:14Now, again,
21:15the halal market
21:16is very huge,
21:17not only in Southeast Asia,
21:19but also in the GCC countries.
21:22So with all of these
21:23new innovations
21:24and new ideas,
21:27I do hope
21:28that the FTA
21:29were able to make us
21:31shift a little bit
21:32from the normal
21:32conventional trade,
21:34which definitely
21:35depending on
21:36the regional supply chain,
21:38global supply chain
21:39by the geopolitics
21:40and the geoeconomics,
21:42but to look into
21:43the areas
21:43that is less risky
21:45and able to have
21:47a more stable,
21:48attractive factors
21:50to these two regions,
21:52GCC as well as ASEAN.
21:55I want to take a break
21:58for a little bit
21:59from the ASEAN GCC
22:01and just quickly touch
22:02on the ASEAN GCC China Summit.
22:04We've also seen
22:05some reports
22:06of China's Premier,
22:08Li Chiang,
22:09urging the three regions
22:10to serve
22:10as a beacon
22:11of cross-civilisational integration.
22:15And he also mentioned
22:16the need
22:17to collectively champion
22:19shared Asian values.
22:21Rowena, what do you make
22:22of this?
22:23Do you think
22:23this is just rhetoric?
22:25How do you think
22:26this would play
22:27into diplomacy
22:28and public perception?
22:31It's very smart.
22:33It's a really good way
22:34for China
22:35to kind of
22:36assert itself
22:37in some way as well
22:38to sort of
22:39so that it is
22:40playing a big role
22:41but it also
22:42a big role regionally
22:44but it also shows
22:44that China is willing
22:46to work with others
22:47and I think
22:47this is quite key.
22:49There's always been
22:49this rhetoric
22:50especially with the West
22:51that China
22:51is a kind of
22:52big major power
22:53wants to do things
22:54on its own
22:55but here
22:56we're seeing
22:56China working together
22:58granted by the fact
23:00that it is probably
23:01also pushing
23:01for its own agenda
23:02such as the BRI
23:03that Dr. Zoxi
23:06mentioned earlier
23:07and there has always
23:08been this case
23:09that China
23:09wants to move forward
23:10in the region as well.
23:12You know,
23:12we've had
23:13cases between
23:15China and the Philippines
23:16for example
23:16especially when it comes
23:17through territories
23:18and so on
23:19and dominance
23:20of the South China Seas
23:21and South China Sea
23:23as well
23:23so it definitely
23:25wants to push
23:25itself forward
23:26as a kind of leader
23:27of ASEAN
23:28and Asian leadership
23:29but even then
23:31what does that
23:31actually really mean
23:32in reality?
23:34What does that
23:35look like?
23:36Yes,
23:37at the end of the day
23:37ASEAN is
23:39strong because
23:41of its diversity
23:42and differences
23:42to have some
23:44sort of collective
23:44mindset
23:45collective identity
23:47I think takes away
23:49from the diversity
23:50that ASEAN brings
23:51because it's
23:52it has different
23:54relationships
23:55it has different
23:55histories
23:56it has different
23:56foreign policies
23:57that collectively
23:58it comes together
23:59to sort of
24:00protect the region
24:03economically
24:03as well as
24:04to some extent
24:05politically
24:05and provide that
24:06kind of stability
24:07that's very important
24:08but it's
24:09it's
24:09it's nice
24:11that China
24:11wants to sort of
24:12push for this
24:13kind of agenda
24:14but at the same time
24:15I think one
24:15should be quite cautious
24:17as to where
24:18it sees itself
24:20and whether it
24:21sees itself
24:21in a kind of
24:22leadership role
24:23pushing agenda
24:24is one thing
24:25but what does
24:26that exactly mean?
24:27I think we'll have
24:28to sort of see
24:28where things go
24:29from now on
24:30it's all nice words
24:31but what does it
24:32actually mean?
24:33And I think
24:34it's very important
24:35that ASEAN
24:35still maintains
24:36its individuality
24:38if that makes sense
24:39and its foreign
24:40its individual members
24:42individual members
24:43individuality
24:44and foreign policy
24:45sort of profile
24:47as it will
24:48We're coming
24:50towards the end
24:50of the discussion now
24:52but Zokri
24:52you pointed out
24:53a lot of strengths
24:54a lot of opportunities
24:55that this kind of
24:57partnership unlocks
24:58for ASEAN
24:58and the GCC as well
25:00but what do you think
25:01are some potential
25:01obstacles or tensions
25:03that could present itself
25:04as a challenge
25:06to this partnership?
25:08Well I think
25:09the first challenge
25:10is how that
25:12we are going
25:12to standardise
25:14perhaps
25:15a regulatory framework
25:18on how
25:19this summit
25:20can move further
25:21Now it will look
25:22again into
25:23the joint statement
25:23there are various
25:25agreements
25:26summits
25:27have been listed
25:28down
25:28for these countries
25:31to actually
25:31adopt to
25:32So again
25:33it's nice
25:34that all of this
25:35have been put
25:36into a joint statement
25:37that means
25:38it is recognised
25:39it is validated
25:40it is signed
25:41by all of the leaders
25:43but what we can see
25:44in the future
25:45is how do we
25:46actually harmonise
25:47and standardise
25:48different framework
25:50different blueprints
25:51and roadmap
25:51together
25:52but having it
25:53into this statement
25:54is already
25:55a positive sign
25:57because everyone
25:57signed upon it
25:58and I think
25:59the challenge
26:00will also go
26:01into the implementation
26:02again I spoke
26:03about implementations
26:04earlier on
26:05summit
26:06after summit
26:07is always
26:08about producing
26:09joint statements
26:10but I think
26:11the implementation
26:12and auditing
26:13has not been released
26:14so perhaps
26:15there will be
26:17a third party
26:18or any independent
26:20contractor
26:20auditing organisations
26:21that will do
26:23an audit
26:23as well as
26:24evaluation
26:25where are we
26:26after a summit
26:27into another
26:27so implementation
26:28remains a challenge
26:30to this ASEAN GCC
26:32and China summit
26:33A lot of interesting
26:35points there
26:35that we'd like
26:36to talk about
26:37but that's all
26:38the time that we
26:38have unfortunately
26:39thank you so much
26:40Sokri and Rowena
26:40for sharing your
26:41thoughts with us
26:42on the ASEAN GCC
26:43summit
26:43definitely a lot
26:45to look out for
26:46for what's to come
26:47not just with
26:47the two regional blocks
26:48but as well with
26:49China now
26:50as part of the game
26:51thank you so much
26:52to Sokri and Rowena
26:52once again
26:53that's all for
26:53Awani Global
26:54tonight with me
26:55Nala Huda
26:55we'll see you again
27:00you
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