The ASEAN-GCC-China Summit Marks the Transformation of China's Diplomatic and Economic Strategies

The ASEAN-GCC-China Summit Marks the Transformation of China's Diplomatic and Economic Strategies

At the end of May, I traveled to Malaysia to attend the ASEAN-GCC-China Summit. Although the official agenda centered on multilateral economic cooperation, it quickly became clear that geopolitics — particularly China’s growing assertiveness — had begun to dominate the proceedings. The summit provided a glimpse into the direction global economic cooperation may take and how political ambitions continue to complicate these efforts. Beijing’s prop…