Japan beats China as an investor in Asean but why does survey show trust in it is declining?

The latest annual State of Southeast Asia Survey conducted by the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute has found that confidence in Japan has dipped even though it is Southeast Asia’s largest investor, beating China. 

Kei Koga, an assistant professor at NTU in Singapore, pointed to leadership turnover as a reason. “[Ex-prime minister Shinzo] Abe took a strong leadership role in Asia,” Koga said, adding that “such strong diplomatic leadership in Asia has been absent since the [Yoshihide] Suga administration”.

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