Kuala Lumpur, Nov. 3 -- The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has signed an upgraded free trade agreement with China, a move that many analysts interpret as deepening China's economic control over the region.

The deal, officially titled the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) 3.0 Upgrade Protocol, was signed on October 28 in Kuala Lumpur during the ASEAN Summit, witnessed by Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

However, experts caution that the agreement could expose ASEAN nations to new vulnerabilities from industrial decline to compromised economic sovereignty, as reported by The Epoch Times.

According to The Epoch Times, China remains ASEAN's largest trading partner, with bilateral trade ...