At a summit of ASEAN Leaders on Friday, concerns over the South China Sea were prominent. But the agenda was also dominated by the economic fallout from the pandemic, and how economies can get back on track. Trade was key to recovery, and the ASEAN Leaders would not let political issues get in the way of that bigger picture, according to Collin Koh, a Research Fellow with RSIS. “ASEAN governments – also lobbied by the corporate sector – will still put a premium on trade with China, especially given how closely these economies have been integrated for a while, and despite the recognition that one shouldn’t place all eggs into the Chinese basket,” he said.