Since U.S. President Trump’s surprise declaration of ‘reciprocal’ tariffs against allies and adversaries alike, China has expanded its economic diplomacy to other members of the so-called “Global South.” This week, Chinese Premier Li Qiang has traveled to Kuala Lumpur to address the inaugural ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)-GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council)-China Summit. Li’s speech follows President Xi Jinping’s diplomatic tour of Malaysia, Vietnam and Cambodia in April. Could Beijing succeed in uniting Southeast Asian and Arab governments against the U.S. tariffs? And is China also gaining ground in Latin America? In this episode, we discuss the ASEAN-GCC-China trilateral summit, the China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement, and China’s plans for the “Global South.” Our guests:Lai I-chung Prospect Foundation President Yuan I National Chengchi University Institute of International Relations Adjunct Research FellowChapters:00:00:00 – ASEAN, GCC Strengthen China Ties00:00:45 – What Does China Gain from Summit?00:06:07 – Are Gulf States Abandoning U.S.?00:12:16 – Will ASEAN, GCC Unite with China?00:15:47 – Is CAFTA a Reaction to U.S. Pressure?00:18:29 – China Offers Investments to U.S. Neighbors00:19:09 – Is China Winning in Latin America?00:23:01 – Is China’s ‘Global South’ Plan Realistic?#China #ASEAN #GCC #GulfCooperationCouncil #Summit #Diplomacy #EconomicDiplomacy #LiQiang #XiJinping #ChinaASEANrelations #ChinaGCCrelations #ChinaArabRelations #Trilateral #Malaysia #CAFTA #FTA #FreeTradeAgreement #ForeignInvestment #ChinaMiddleEast #ChinaLatinAmerica #GlobalSouth #UStariffs #TrumpTradeWar #TaiwanTalks
