When Gulf leaders touched down in Kuala Lumpur for a summit with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations this May, the ink was barely dry on their massive investment pledges of some US$2 trillion in the United States to placate President Donald Trump.But as the summit doors closed, the senior officials from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) turned their attention eastward, towards forging a pan-Asian economic zone reminiscent of Brics that could shield them and Asean from the...