President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. concluded his attendance at the 46th ASEAN Summit, the 2nd ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit, and the inaugural ASEAN-GCC-China Summit, urging fellow ASEAN leaders to critically assess ongoing shifts in global trade to identify potential risks, advantages, and opportunities for maximization.
In a media interview following the discussions, President Marcos emphasized the imperative for ASEAN nations to adapt to the dynamic global economic environment. “What we have to do is identify what those changes are going to be. Is it damaging? Or is it to our advantage? Or is it something that we can maximize?” President Marcos stated. “And that’s how we need to adjust. Because whatever else happens, this will change, this is changing, this will change, this has changed.”
The President highlighted the broad consensus among ASEAN member states on the critical importance of strengthening regional cooperation and interdependence to ensure continued stability. He expressed confidence in the vibrancy of ASEAN economies, even amidst the current global situation, and stressed the responsibility of stable members to support more vulnerable ones.
“If we cannot sell to these markets anymore, then let’s sell to each other’s markets,” President Marcos urged, underscoring the potential for increased intra-ASEAN trade. “It seems that the best, most solid way forward is to be a reliable partner for each other in ASEAN.”
A significant outcome of the summit agenda, according to President Marcos, was ASEAN’s enhanced engagement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), marking a new and valuable addition to the discussions. He lauded the initiative as a “very, very good idea,” particularly with the inclusion of a GCC-China trilateral meeting.
President Marcos asserted that a successful arrangement among ASEAN, GCC, and China could lead to the formation of a highly significant economic bloc. “If we come to a good arrangement, then that will be a rival to any kind of economic bloc anywhere in the world. And that is well-recognized,” he said. He further noted the immense potential of such a partnership: “The trilateral with GCC and China and ASEAN, talagang ‘pag pinagsama mo lahat ‘yan, this is a very large part of the world population and certainly a very large part of the world’s wealth and economic activity.”
President Marcos concluded his participation in the series of high-level meetings in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which focused on charting strategic directions for the region amidst evolving global economic realities.
