Southeast Asia holds vast economic significance to not just the United States but to the world. But the pandemic has strained the region’s recovery with the delta variant surging, while global supply chains have been stretched to the limit. Meanwhile, the United States is looking to reinforce its ties with Southeast Asia as China makes its own moves in the region.

Economist Trinh Nguyen joins Doug to talk about the region’s battle with the virus and why the global economic recovery depends on Southeast Asia.

Follow Trinh for more insights on emerging Asia and watch her latest interview on CNBC about Southeast Asian economies.