ASEAN-China-GCC health cooperation: strategic value and pathways forward

With the deepening of globalization and the growing severity of public health challenges, regional and cross-regional health cooperation has become crucial for safeguarding global health security and promoting sustainable development. The successful first summit among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, China, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (ASEAN-China-GCC) on May 27, 2025, has opened new prospects for trilateral cooperation across various fields, including health. This paper aims to analyze the strategic necessity and common foundations for strengthening health cooperation among China, ASEAN, and the GCC; interpret the profound implications of the inaugural trilateral summit on health collaboration; and systematically elaborate the core pillars for constructing new pathways in trilateral health cooperation. These pillars include joint prevention and control of infectious diseases, innovation in traditional medicine, digital health connectivity, synergy in the pharmaceutical industry, and resilience building of health systems. The findings indicate that, given its high social recognition, direct benefits to people′s livelihoods, and close ties with economic development, health and pharmaceutical cooperation possesses a solid foundation and significant potential to become a core area of future collaboration among ASEAN, China, and the GCC. Furthermore, this study proposes policy recommendations for deepening trilateral health cooperation and highlights its potential positive role in global and cross-regional health governance.