Hello.
The rumblings of political transition are being felt throughout Asia. This weekend, the Communist Party of China will kick off its National Congress, held every five years. Xi Jinping is expected to secure an unprecedented third term as China’s top leader.
However, the mood surrounding China’s economy is less festive. It is projected to grow by 2.8 per cent this year, a sharp deceleration from 8.1 per cent last year. Professor and consultant Bo Zhiyue says there are no signs yet that Xi is ready to back down from his zero-COVID stance and open China to the world.
And the reforms once proposed to catalyse innovation and productivity may have long stalled, as Xi has placed more emphasis on the leading role of the state and national stability, says East Asia Institute’s Professor Bert Hofman.
In Malaysia, parliament has been dissolved, making way for national elections to be held by the end of the year. While the old guard of UMNO had called for an early election to leverage its momentum and secure a parliamentary majority, opposition parties argued against it due to the risk of monsoon floods.
But besides that, the opposition is too divided to offer a strong challenge, and Malaysian voters are likely to choose a strong government to steer the country back to post-pandemic normality, says Professor James Chin.
Meanwhile in Singapore, COVID-19 cases are on the rise, prompting new visitor safe management measures at hospital wards and residential care homes. While you might feel worried about the constant flux in numbers and rules, Singapore is in a much better place than when the pandemic started, says Dr Khoo Yoong Khean of the Duke-NUS Centre for Outbreak Preparedness.
We hope you enjoy the selection of commentaries this week.
Alison Jenner
Senior Editor, Commentary
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