background in management studies, he has shown a steady hand, not least in his
effective handling of covid- 19 —aided by a healthy distrust of China’s initial
reassurances. Still, his lack of experience in the propaganda side of national leadership
could be costly. His focus will be to tackle an entrenched system of back-scratching
among politicians and business leaders, sometimes crossing the line into corruption,
which is off-putting to foreign investors. The new team will also need to find an
accommodation with China on territory the two countries dispute in the South China
Sea.
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