Asian Insider Dec 27: China’s new provincial leaders who are financial whizzes, Shinzo Abe’s challenges in 2020, and Indonesia’s message of love to Europe

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In today's bulletin: We look at how President Xi Jinping is deploying veteran financial experts to top positions across China's 31 provinces, regions and municipalities; what Shinzo Abe needs to tackle in 2020 in his most difficult time as Japan's leader, and how Indonesia is tweaking its strategy for tourism by wooing more European tourists to visit the country's natural wonders.

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As China struggles to deal with the slowdown of the world's second-largest economy, it has embarked on a new strategy of placing financial experts in provinces to manage risks and rebuild regional economies. To date, President Xi Jinping has put 12 former executives at state-run financial institutions or regulators in top posts across China's 31 provinces, regions and municipalities, including some who have grappled with banking and debt difficulties that have raised fears of financial meltdown. Only two top provincial officials had such financial background before the last big leadership reshuffle in 2012, according to Reuters research.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe heads into 2020 hampered by scandals that have dragged his support to levels not seen in a year and tarnished his record as the country's longest-serving premier. The latest poll by the Asahi newspaper found 38 per cent of respondents surveyed Dec 21-22 said they supported Mr Abe, down for the third straight month and sagging below 40 per cent for the first time in more than a year. His term as LDP leader ends in less than two years and several recent polls have found the most popular candidate to succeed him is Mr Shigeru Ishiba, a former defence minister who has criticised the Abe administration since leaving the cabinet in 2016.

The Indonesian government has started a campaign to woo more European tourists as a measure to replace the drop in Chinese tourists due to the on-going global trade tension. According to its Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Wishnutama Kusubandio, the characteristics of Indonesia's tourist destinations - mostly of natural wonders - suit the European market which largely prefers outdoor activities such as sailing in Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara and Tanjung Puting in Central Kalimantan. Indonesia welcomed 1,565,200 tourists from Europe between January and September this year.

In the latest update on the saga from our Malaysia Correspondent Trinna Leong, Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has put on hold a plan to cut Malaysian civil service allowances for new government hires, after a strong backlash that included nearly 100,000 people signing an online petition. The cut, which was to start on Jan 1, would affect public healthcare workers the most. The critical allowances are an incentive payment on top of the monthly salary, and ranges from five to 15 per cent of a month's salary.

In China, the accuser can quickly become the accused. At least six men publicly accused of sexual assault or harassment have sued their accusers and the people who have publicised those accusers' claims, for defamation in the past year. In fact, of just 34 lawsuits filed in China between 2010 and 2017 related to sexual harassment in the workplace, 19 of those were filed by the accused perpetrators, according to the Beijing Yuanzhong Gender Development Centre, an advocacy group.

SINGAPORE: Amid rising religious and racial tensions worldwide, social cohesion is not something that should not be taken for granted, Singapore President Halimah Yacob said in her New Year message. Her reminder about the fragility of such harmony comes at the close of a year in which social conflicts boiled over, setting off demonstrations around the world. The President has made the promotion of social cohesion a key agenda of her presidency.

TAIWAN: Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen has hit out at sexist slurs that are hurled at her and other women politicians. Taiwan has forged a reputation as Asia's most progressive democracy and it boasts a higher proportion of women in Parliament than anywhere else in the region. But the campaign for the Jan 11 polls has exposed an undercurrent where women politicians face a gauntlet of personal abuse and jibes that their male counterparts rarely suffer.

MALAYSIA: Cameron Highlands is peaceful and is safe to visit. The Pahang police chief made this assurance to visitors to the popular tourist spots after various untrue reports on riots there surfaced online. Earlier this month (Dec), as part of an operation to stop river pollution, police had dispersed some 200 people who were apparently involved in illegal farming there.

And finally, when it comes to stars in wars, the dead do speak. Well, at least through their descendants. Shannon Lee's company, Bruce Lee Enterprises, is suing a Chinese restaurant chain for millions of dollars over the use of a logo that allegedly taps the image of the late gongfu action star. In addition, she wants the chain to stop using her father's image and publish statements for 90 consecutive days that it has nothing to do with Bruce Lee.

Thank you for reading Asian Insider, and for being a reader of The Straits Times.

We will be back again next week. Have a great weekend!

- Ooi Boon

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