The leaders of Southeast Asian countries gathered in Laos this year for the annual ASEAN summit. Among areas of focus, they agreed to upgrade a free trade agreement with China. What is the importance of Southeast Asia for the global economy? 

Joining the discussion: 

• Ei Sun Oh is Principal Adviser at Pacific Research Center of Malaysia. 
• Zoon Ahmed Khan is a Research Fellow at the Center for China and Globalization. 
• Einar Tangen is a Senior Fellow at the Taihe Institute and Chairman of Asia Narratives. 
• Sourabh Gupta is Senior Asia-Pacific international relations policy specialist at the Institute for China-America Studies.